Highschool Sweetheart
by Glee-chan
Summary: A romantic comedy dealing with Highschoolers looking for love in all the wrong places.  The Story follows Satoshi, a nerd who was bullied at his old school.  He decided to make a new life for himself, and transfers to a different school and fun follows.
1. Chapter 1

Chapter One: A Hard Start

The door slammed shut at the Okada residence as the younger brother of Saki Okada came storming in, his school bag covering his lap. Saki just happened to be walking down the stairs at the exact moment her brother entered and narrowed her eyes at the situation in front of her. He was bruised all over, his nose bleeding, and stooped over trying to hide his lap once again. If she wasn't feeling concerned for him, she might have laughed at the silly way he was trying to take off his shoes while still trying to keep his mid-section from view.

"What did they do to you now?"

Satoshi's glasses flew off his face as he turned his head quickly to her direction. He doubled over, trying to hide himself even more. "Don't look, nee-chan!"

Saki knew her brother was a big target at school for everyone to pick on, and not just by the bullies. Ever since he entered his first year he must of rubbed someone popular the wrong way and ever since had been bullied and beaten nonstop. They went through elaborate ways of throwing foul garbage and a variety of animal dung at him, to spiking his lunch with various spices and laxatives. It truly was a horrible existence. In her heart, Saki couldn't forgive them, but her mind knew why they picked on him so much. He was an overweight uber-geek.

"Come on upstairs and let me at least clean the blood off your face." Saki gave him a pitiful sigh.

"I can do it myself." Satoshi grumbled with some annoyance, but followed her orders never-the-less.

When they reached the bathroom, Saki had her brother sit on the bath-stool, as she started to clean his face. He kept his school bag on his lap, all the while complaining about how embarrassing it was to be in the bathroom with his sister. She ignored his comments as usual. After a while she was curious as to what he was hiding on his lap, and when he wasn't paying attention, she stoled his bag. She wished at once that she didn't do it. His pants were bulging high from a huge erection.

"Eew, what the hell!" Saki adverted her eyes, as Satoshi replaced the bookbag over himself.

"It's not what you think!" Satoshi fumed. "I'm not getting turned on by my sister!"

"No?" Saki teased slightly.

"That bastard Akira Takashima crushed one of his father's Erectile Disfunction pills into my juice. I had to hide it most of the day, but at gym class he and his idiot friends threw me into the girls bathroom. I got beat up by them, then their boyfriends, and now I'm suspended for 2 weeks."

Standing up, Saki offered her hand. "I'm done now, you should go to your room and… take care of that before Mama gets home."

Satoshi narrowed his eyes at his sister. "You don't think I haven't tried that already. The pill's effect on a normal… um… thing… is stronger. I can't get it to go away. It's really starting to hurt."

There was no other alternative. "We have to go to the clinic."

"No!" Satoshi looked mortified. "Are you kidding me? I have to go back out there with this thing sticking out? Plus Dr. Ogasawara will have to… No! We can't do that!"

"She's a doctor, Satoshi… it's nothing she hasn't dealt with before."

"I'd rather wait for it to go away." Satoshi murmured.

"You've had a boner since Lunch." Saki pointed out. "That can't be healthy. I even got home from school before you did, so it's been a long time. No excuses, come on before I pick you up and drag you."

Satoshi had to give in. "This isn't fair. I hate my life. I hate my school. I just want out!"

Saki could sympathize with him, and started to worry about the future. She was finishing up her final year at the same high school, and would soon be going to University in the next city. There would be no way for her to protect him anymore, and as much as those kids picked on him, she was afraid of what might happen. But she couldn't think about that, with the current crisis.

"Stop complaining and let's go."

Several hours later the siblings returned home, thankful with a de-boned Satoshi. He looked mortified, and the bruised up face and cracked glasses frames didn't help matters. After apologizing for not cooking dinner to their parents, they had to explain what happened. They took it with the same apathy they normally did. Such things were happening to their son all the time now that it almost was a numb subject for them. But this time around Saki wasn't feeling the same way, and she was sure that it had something to do with seeing her brother's erection now burned in her brain. She could never forgive those bullies for such thing.

"When I leave for University, I think Satoshi should come with me." She spoke in the middle of the conversation. She surprised herself as she had not planned to say this at all, but after she said it, she agreed with the idea whole heartedly.

"What do you mean, Saki-chan?" Papa asked.

"Well, we were planning on having me rent an apartment, right? With my Swimming Scholarship and a part-time job we could afford to live together."

"But what about school? Are you saying Satoshi should transfer to the nearest High School?" Mama asked.

"I am. He's got good enough grades, so it shouldn't be a problem. Maybe he just needs a fresh start, some place where no one knows him." Saki nodded, trying to ignore her stomach growling.

"They'll just pick on me anyway." Satoshi muttered angrily. "The kids at our current school started messing with me the first day I entered, and a lot of them didn't even know me from Middle School."

Saki bit her lip, not wanting to hurt her brothers feelings. "That's because you're a fat spaz."

"Oh thanks." Satoshi glared at her.

"Sorry, but it's true. And from this time forward I'm going to be your personal trainer."

Saki had always prided herself in keeping in shape, largely do to her being on the swim team. In order to be a top constant in the various events she had to go to, she had taken to being on a strict diet and exercise programs. She even studied in Papa's dojo for extra training. The result was that Saki and Satoshi looked miles apart.

"And it would be about time you learned more than just the basics, Son." Papa spoke firmly.

"I don't want to do all that."

"Tough." Saki stood up. "You have to take care of yourself if you expect people to take care of you. You have 2 weeks suspension, so everyday you're going be at Papa's dojo. And when I get home I'm going to train you until you drop."

Mama looked concerned. "We really shouldn't force him to do all this, dear."

"No, we let him get away with being lazy long enough. The result was I had to see my brother get a hard on." Saki pointed at Satoshi. "When I'm not studying up for University, I'm going to be his nightmare."

"I think Saki-chan is right, honey." Papa said, eager to teach his son Karate and Aikido. Saki knew he always wanted them to take more of an interest in his work. Because Mama was the owner of a popular department store in town, they had always counted on her for money. This meant she had more pull over decisions, and she was always soft hearted when it came to her children. "He's been getting beaten nearly every day, and he needs to learn to defend himself. To stop playing video games and be a man."

"You guys just want a pet project." Satoshi complained, obviously not liking the idea of having to work out nonstop. Saki did know that he was interested in leaving the town though.

"Like I want to take time out of my day to baby you around." Saki said. "It's for your own good and you have no choice."

That night everyone went to bed hungry. It was hot, so Saki forwent the usual pajamas she would wear on cooler evenings. Saki laid in her bed with a fan blasting at her, rubbing her stomach, furious that Akira Tamashima made her miss out having a meal. Satoshi was the one who cooked, and he was busy getting off in a Doctors office. Because this, that Akira was going to get her fist tomorrow at school. And she was resigned into torturing her brother with her work out methods. No mercy. It was payback for searing the image of her brother hard-on in her brain. The very though made her stomach grumble louder, but not of hunger.

"Damn it!" Saki rolled over in her bed, punching the pillow on her head violently. "Yuck."

The next room over was her brother's room, and she could hear he was still up playing on the computer. It annoyed her. She could tell that he was going to fight all her efforts to help him out. That's just who he was. He was always babied more than she was, just because he was younger. If he didn't want something, usually it didn't happen do to their mother's intervention. But she didn't care what Mama thought not. Her brother had become a joke, and his life would just get worse if something wasn't done.

The longer the noise from the computer game went on, the more it annoyed Saki. She couldn't take it anymore and stormed out of her room, ripping into Satoshi's room. "Go to bed! Papa's going to grind you to a pulp tomorrow, you need sleep."

"It's my last night of freedom, Nee-chan, so I'm taking advantage of if." Satoshi spoke without turning his head from the computer screen.

"Don't make me kick your ass." Saki grumbled, pulling him away from the computer.

"Nee-chan, put some pants on!"

"Go to bed, you ungrateful little wart!" Saki shouted, trying to hide that she was embarrassed that she had forgotten to put on her pajama pants before she stormed in. Maybe this was a small payback for him, seeing her panties when she had to see his… thing.

"Fine I will, just leave." Satoshi averted his eyes away from her bare legs.

"You better or I'll come back." Saki turned and left, her face feeling hot from embarrassment. "That little runt is gonna pay." She seethed.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter Two: The New School

Satoshi placed the last box down inside the small one person apartment that now he and Saki would be sharing. After saying goodbye to their parents, the siblings gave each others excited looks. It was odd being officially on their own. They could do anything, even if the only thing they felt like doing was responsibly unpacking. Saki walked pass Satoshi and ruffled his hair, then headed for the kitchen ware.

"I really hate my haircut, by the way." Satoshi started a conversation as he started placing clothes into his drawer.

"It's the latest style, so stop complaining." Saki commented. "You don't look like an Otaku anymore."

"Whatever." Satoshi rolled his eyes, pulling out his new uniform. He had had his fitting a few days before they had officially moved.

"Hey, you should wear your uniform loosely." Nee-chan said from the kitchen, eyeing the uniform. "You don't want to look like a bookworm."

"So you're going to dress me too?"

"I'm going to make you cool, Sato-chan." Saki winked. "Don't forget, at our old school I was pretty popular. So you should take my advice. If you button up that jacket, you'll look ordinary or like a tool."

"It's against school rules, Nee-chan." Satoshi grumbled.

"And that's the point. Besides, Matsukameya High School isn't as strict with the dress code. I saw some of their students at a swim meat." Saki explained. "You definitely could go for the rogue look."

"Fine, like it matters." Satoshi said.

It was amazing the transformation that had occurred with Satoshi's body over the past three months. It was nonstop exercise and Aikido practice. He was forced to eat Saki's horrible diet foods. As a result he was pretty lean and muscular. To top it all off, Saki insisted he wear contacts at school and even forced him into a make-over with all her friends the last few days they were in their old town. Satoshi would have complained more if he hadn't personally benefited from his new training. The last day of school, Satoshi took great pleasure in beating Akira Takashima into a wall.

"I wonder what will campus life be like. I know you have more freedom at University, but I'm still nervous." Saki continued making idle conversation.

"You're nervous?" Satoshi laughed. His first day would be more nerve racking than any of the worst days that could possibly happen to Saki. "You always were pretty and popular so it shouldn't be any different now."

"Yes, but at least I always went in with at least one friend. I won't know any one." Saki finished placing the flatware away, then moved on to her own clothes.

"Join the club. I never had friends and I got by."

Saki gave him a comical look. "If you count getting beat to a pulp getting by. Still, you shouldn't have to worry about that this year. Just remember that attitude can take you along way. If you at least appear you're confident in yourself, people will think you are, and will respect you."

"Shouldn't you take your own advise for your University classes?"

"I'll be fine, but I still am nervous."

Matsukameya High School was much bigger than his older school, but having visited before for uniform fittings (Saki had insisted that he get his jacket a size longer), he had the general lay of the land. The first task was finding his homeroom, which was on a communal board in the lobby. As he stood there looking for his name with a crowd of girls, he heard conversations of wishing they could be with other classmates they knew. He didn't have this problem. He wouldn't know anyone. After looking for a while he saw that he was listed as being in 2-B. Hanging his school bag over his shoulder, he followed the same group of girls up the stairs.

The class room was also bigger than his previous school, and it had a nice view of the school yard from the windows. Knowing that assigned seating would be placed later it didn't matter where he sat now. So he took a window seat in the back. It seemed a large majority of them knew each other and they were already in social groups. He, and a few others, were in the minority of being friendless, thus being the only people seated not talking to anyone.

Something soft brushed his elbow, which was sitting on laying on the desk, She looked up and saw a girl stepping forward rubbing her behind. Satoshi felt his face go slightly warmer, but before he could apologize she turned and gave him a small laugh.

"I'm sorry, I wasn't looking where I was going."

"It's fine." Satoshi tried to sound more confident than he felt. The girl was absolutely stunning. Even better was that she was talking politely to him, which was a vast improvement over being beaten with school bags.

"You're new here, aren't you?" She continued to speak kindly to him, her hands still behind her back.

Satoshi thought it was painfully obvious that he was new, but didn't see any reason to be rude to her. "Yep. I've only moved here days ago."

"That's nice. I hope you'll enjoy it here." She smiled at him. Satoshi nodded and she walked off.

It just felt odd. She genuinely was treating him kindly, it wasn't sarcasm. He waited for a moment for her to join some friends and start giggling and pointing in his direction. But it didn't happen. She did joins some friends, but from what he could gather, they were talking about a CD they both liked, and the other girl was from another class. Later Satoshi found that this seemed to be the consistence with anyone walking near him. A polite hello, some asking where he was from, and the like. And what was even more amazing was that a number of girls were also asking him as well. He still kept his guard up, in case someone would pour toilet water over him.

The homeroom teacher came into the room. Everyone found a seat to stand near, until he told them it was okay for them to sit down. "I'm Kaito Takahashi, but all you cute girls can call me Taka-chan!" There was a awkward laugher as no one knew if this was a joke or not. "but lets get to some assigned seating, shall we. Everyone at the back of the class. When I call your name, please come to the front and introduce yourselves, then go to your correct seat. If there are any problems with the seating arrangement, we can solve that problem later. First up Abe, Kano.

After everyone shuffled to the back, Kano stomped his way to the front and embarrassingly told everyone he liked Super Sentai and Karaoke. This sort of thing went on for everyone called. Satoshi barely was listening to them, as everyone else was doing, until someone he found interesting looking came up and talked. However the person he was most interested in was the same pretty girl who he had elbowed in the butt.

"Kitamura, Yukiko". Takahashi-sensei announced after Ando Kawano.

She walked up to the front of the class, seemingly with more grace in each step than anyone who had before her. Through Satoshi thought maybe he was romanticizing her a bit. She was short, but not the shortest girl in the class, and had a very cute stylish short haircut. He thought she might have really perfect skin, and she looked so composed it was hard not to admire her. With every step, her hair bounced slightly and Satoshi felt that he could get lost just watching her hair sway to and fro.

"Hello, everyone, I'm Yuriko Kitamura. My interests are history books, cats, and tennis. And I like funny people." She smiled softly, then looked at Takahashi-sensei as if wondering if that was enough. He was busy looking at her legs. Her face pinken slightly and she bowed. "May I take my seat now, Sensei?"

"Of course. Next Koboyashi, Jun."

Satoshi couldn't remember anything Jun Koboyashi said, as he was busy watching the back of the head of Yuriko Kitamura. She seemed perfect to him… even if he didn't like history books or tennis. Just the way she sat in her desk seemed as if she were the most perfect thing in existence… at least to Satoshi anyway. He was still looking at her when Murasaki Natsume was called.

With this girl Satoshi was forced to look away from the lovely vision that was his new obsession, Yuriko, Natsume was obviously part westerner, and it was strange that he didn't notice her before. She had vivid hazel-green eyes and blondish hair. She still looked very much Japanese, but whatever western parent she had really had some influence in her exotic look.

"Yo. I'm Natsume, but at my old school people took to calling me Natsu-chan, so you can call me that also, if you want. Before you ask, yes my Father was Dutch, and yes my hair color is real. Now that we got that out of the way, I like sports, video games, and manga. I just moved here, so I hope everyone takes good care of me!"

Her personality was as loud as her appearance. She definitely stood out, and if Satoshi hadn't be staring at Yuriko most of the morning he would have no doubt noticed her. She too was extremely pretty, although he wasn't sure if he was drawn to her by her exotic look or her perfect figure. In some ways she reminded him of Saki, the way she acted at least. As she walked toward her seat, she glanced at Satoshi, then gave a very playful grin.

The grin took him back a bit, until he realized that his name was next. Great, so he would be sitting behind that weird girl. Shaking away all the awkwardness he felt, he took his sisters advise and pretended to feel confident. When he turned around and faced the class he noticed nearly everyone was staring at him, as if he was as interesting as that brash Natsume chick. Hiding his feelings he spoke.

"I'm Satoshi Okada, also transferring here. My sister is attending University near by so I decided to come to school here to be closer to her. I practice Aikido and am interested in…" he tried to think of something cool that he would be interested in, even though he hadn't planned on saying he practiced Aikido. "…art." The pause was too long that it attracted attention. He chose art because his sister forbidden him to say he liked Anime and Manga. Art was the closest thing he could think of to say. He continued. "I hope I won't be a burden the first few days here, while I'm getting to know the school… Thanks."

With that he started to his seat. He heard one of the girls in the back murmur something, but he didn't catch it. The girl next to her giggled. He didn't know what he did wrong but already two people were laughing at him. We he glanced in their direction, they were both looking at him with smiles on their faces, not even attempting to hide the gleeful expressions. Taking a seat behind Natsume, he slumped over in his desk, leaned his cheek against his raised palm and sighed.

Natsume turned around after rubbing the back of her neck and looked at him. "You blew on me."

"I didn't mean to, I apologize."

"It's okay." Natsume looked from him behind at the gossiping girls Satoshi had noticed before. "Better watch out, Okada-san, those girls are after you."

"Yeah, I noticed." Satoshi muttered with an annoyed tone.

"No reason to be mad. You can just tell them no." Natsume winked and turned back around. Satoshi had no clue what that meant.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter Three: The Lunch-Time Conversation

By mid-day, everyone had sort of got into the groove of how the school was going to run. No one was sorry when it was lunch. Natsume pulled her lunch from her school bag and glanced behind her at Satoshi, seeing that he was being invited by Makoto Tanaka to eat near him. She felt slightly annoyed by this, even though she wasn't sure why. Satoshi seemed familiar for some reason, and she was curious to figure out why she thought so. But she had new troubles of her own. She was being invited by a number of guys from the class room to eat with them. She had slightly expected it, she was pretty popular at her old school with the boys as well.

"Excuse me." A soft voice broke through the mountain of boys that were camped out near her desk. Natsume saw a girl push her way through the crowd. "I believe Murasaki-san had agreed to eat with me today."

There was a low groan from all the boys and they dispersed. Natsume gave a relieved look at the pretty girl pulling a seat closer to the desk. She couldn't remember her name, but remembered that the girl liked Tennis. "Thank you for saving me from the vultures."

"I thought you were having trouble." She smiled politely then started unwrapping her bento box. "I hope you don't mind. If you wanted to eat with someone else, I understand."

"Hey, it's cool. I'm Natsu."

"I remember. I'm Yuriko."

The girl was pretty, but not so pretty that she was the most gorgeous person in the class. Still it was her charming polite personality that seemed to make her seem even more lovely. And it didn't hurt that she had a cute short hair and a moé factor to her. "So you play tennis?"

"Oh… no, not that much. I enjoy Tennis, but I'm not very good at it. I'm afraid I'm pretty clumsy when it comes to sports. I like watch matches more than anything, though." Yuriko blushed.

Natsume too a glanced at Yuriko bento box. "Wow. Don't tell me you're a good cook?"

"I'm decent." Yuriko looked down at her food. "My sister made this for me today. Tomorrow I'll make the bento boxes, or get something quick at the store.."

"Sister? Is she in high school as well?"

"Yes, but in a different class. We're identical twins, and I admit I'm a bit upset she didn't get in the same class as me."

"Oh twins! That's pretty cool. I always wanted a twin. Maybe some of the guys would go after her and leave me alone."

Yuriko giggled. "I never had that problem. My sister is more popular than I am."

"Oh come off it, I'm sure lots of boys like you."

"Maybe." Yuriko said softly and looked at Natsume for a moment, then back down at her lunch. "Usually the people I like don't like me back.."

When Yuriko was looking down at her bento box, Natume took the opportunity to look at Satoshi. He was still at the desk that Makoto and Andu were sitting it. Even surrounded by those boring looking boys, Satoshi stood out. She was right, that guy was going to be really popular with the girls, even if he constantly looked miserable. She turned back and saw Yuriko looking at her.

"You've noticed him too, haven't you? He's pretty cute." Yuriko spoke softly.

"Eh, he's not my type." Natsume smirked. "I'm not interested in boys."

"Why not?"

"Because having a boyfriend means that I won't be able to do what I want to. Now I have to go on dates, and miss my TV shows and sporting events. So boring. All they want to do is be all lovey-dubby and when I'm not the same way they think I hate them and break up with me. Then the whole cycle starts again. All the boys start surrounding me asking me out again. So boys are of no use to me."

"That's sounds pretty weird." Yuriko laughed again. "But I guess I understand. You're really pretty so you must have all sorts of problems."

"I'm just a novelty to guys anyway." Natsume waved the compliment off. "You know, 'Date the foreign girl'".

"I don't know. I still think you should give someone a chance. You might be surprised."

At the shoe locker at the end of the day, Natsume placed her school shoes away. Out the door she could see Satoshi walking towards the gate in the school yard, followed discretely by a band of girls. As usual from his posture through out the day, he looked aggravated about something. She pulled her hat of the locker, and as she did so, a few love letters fell out. She grumbled to herself with a bit of an annoyance and placed them into her pock, then placed on her hat, and ran out to catch up with Satoshi. Unlike the other girls following him, she wasn't trying to look like she wasn't doing so, she just ran up to him and grabbed his arm.

"Hey! What the hell?"

"Yo Sato-chan"

"Wha-, don't call me that. My older sister calls me that and its just weird coming from you… And let go of me, would you?"

"Oh fine, don't want a girl to hang on you, you're the worst."

"I don't mean it like that." Satoshi grumbled. "What do you want anyway?"

Natsume wasn't sure why she had done all that she was doing and couldn't think of a good explanation. But that nagging thought in her brain, the one that there was something familiar about him, still plagued her. It bugged her and she wanted to know why. She ignored his request to let go of his arm, and interlaced it with her own.

"So what do you think about all the girls after you?"

"What are you talking about?"

"Them. Back there. Look." Natsume pointed behind her.

Satoshi turned around. Natsume saw his expression change. "Why are they following me?" There was a tone of suspicion in his voice. "Are you with them?"

"I don't even know them." Natsume felt odd that he was accusing her of… something.

"Something is going on. Did I do something wrong in class or something, because this is starting to piss me off."

Natsume blinked, then it dawned on her. "You idiot, they like you. They think you're cute. Why else would they be giggling at you, looking at you all day, or following you around?"

Satoshi scoffed. "Right… they used to do that all the time at my old school too, but it usually was followed with taunts and jeers." For a moment he looked as if he said something he wasn't supposed to, then started to double talk is way out of it. "That was a joke. Honestly they didn't pay much attention to me… or something."

This time Natsume wasn't buying it. But she let it go. "Well they are noticing you now. They all want to ask you out. What do you think about that?"

"I don't care." Satoshi spoke in a softer voice. "So you're here to ask me out also?"

"Hell no."

"Then why are you clinging to my arm?" Satoshi asked.

"I… I was only trying to help you, that's all. You looked miserable with those girls chasing after you, so I thought I'd help." Natsume wasn't sure she bought that herself.

"Well thank you. When you think of a better excuse, you can tell me tomorrow. I got to go."

Withdrawing his arm he walked off a bit more briskly than he was before. Natsume stared at him as he went, that nagging feeling still pestering her. What was it about him that bugged her. And why was she letting a guy get to her this much. As he rounded the corner out of sight, he scratched the back of his head in a familiar way. Then it occurred to her. She recognized that. She thought she knew where she had seen that before. She grinned to herself and thought about a year book that was waiting at home for her to check her theory.

"Hey, Natsu-chan!"

Natsume turned around and saw Ando from her class. "What's up."

"I was wondering if you'd like to go on a date with me."

Another one.

"Let me get back to you on that." Natsume groaned.

"Does that mean you don't want to go out with me, and are just saying that."

"What do you think?"

Ando walked off dejected, leaving Natsume swearing under her breath.

She was tired of this. It was the first day of school and she already had three people officially ask her out, not to mention the several of guys who wanted to sit with her at lunch or the ones that offered to walk her home. It was starting all over again. At her old school she tried to solve her problem by dying her hair black so she'd look more ordinary. But it never really worked. People loved her hair still, complimenting how beautiful it looked. When she transferred, she decided to get a hair cut, thinking that short hair might get rid of some of the unwanted attention, but naturally she was wrong.

"This sucks." Natsume muttered to herself and kicked a stone on the ground.

"I know, he seems a bit moody, but those eyes are so cute." A girls said as she walked near Natsume, talking to her friend.

"And did you see his hair?"

"Oh, Murasaki-san, we saw you talking to Satoshi-kun." The first girl said. Natsume didn't recognize her, but this was a normal thing for her. She rarely remembered people she didn't talk to on a normal basis.

"Yeah, I was."

"What's he like?"

"Moody." Natsume said truthfully. "I think I know him though."

There was a shrill squeal coming from one of the girls. "Do you, have you met before?"

"No, but I recognize him, I think. I just have to be sure. Then I'll know what to do." With that Natsume walked quicker pulling away from them. As she left she could hear the beginning of their next conversation.

"What do you think she means by that?"

"Beats me, she's weird."


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter Four: The Revelation.

Saki opened the door to the apartment and was immediately greeted by the smell and sounds of fresh cooking. After kicking off her shoes and flinging her schoolbag in the corner she walked into the living area and saw her brother in the kitchen, looking completely silly two hair clips keeping the bangs from his face, with an apron, and his streamed up glasses on. But it was a familiar sight, and made her feel at once like she was home.

"I'm home." She announced, feeling exhausted. She had been through the runner all about the campus, and her legs were killing her.

"I have your bath drawn if you want to take one. I'll be a few minutes with dinner." Satoshi called out at her, not taking his eyes off the stove.

"Sounds great." Saki replied and slumped her way to her dresser, pulling out a change of clothes, then shuffled her way pass the kitchen to the small bathroom.

Although the apartment only really had three rooms and was tiny, she had gotten used to it. The living room doubled as a bedroom. She and Satoshi had to place futons out at night. The kitchen was practically part of the same room, only it had a slightly barrier that separated the living area. The bathroom was directly opposite from the kitchen and closer to the front door. There were two closets. One near the front door, and the other near the bathroom. When taking account of a desk, two small dressers, and a TV stand with a TV and a game system, the living area was pretty full. In the middle of the living room was a heated table that they had to pull into the corner when it was bed time. The closet near the front door stored their futons, so there was no room in them for anything else.

The bathroom was a decent size for their small apartment. It had a shower nozzle, a drainable title floor, a sink, and a bath to soak in after cleaning. Saki took her time sitting on the bath stool lathering herself up with body wash, then spraying the soap off with the shower nozzle. When she was sure she had cleaned herself throughly she sunk into the bathtub, groaning with pleasure as the hot water surrounded her body. She closed her eyes and let her stress melt away.

"Hurry along, dinner is almost done." Satoshi called to her after a few minutes.

"Alright Sato-chan." Saki moaned and dunked her head completely into the hot water, held her breath for a few moments, then emerged out.

With her toes she pulled the bathplug out, letting the water drain. Then she set about the task of drying up after which she put on her lazy shorts and a baggy t-shirt. When she opened the door to the bathroom, Satoshi's dinner greeted her nose. He had made a plate for her on the heated table and was already munching on his meal while watching a show on TV. She stomped over to her cushion and plopped down.

"That felt great."

"You took your time." Satoshi slurped his noodles.

"I know. I'm not used to such a big school. I wanted to see everything the first day and kinda wore myself out."

"Do you think you'll remember where everything is?"

"Probably not. But at least I know the lay of the land." Saki helped herself to her meal. "This is all part of our diet right?"

"Yes." Satoshi said gloomily. "Calories all counted and all that…"

"Don't be like that. You look great now, so you should be happy." Saki noted. "Did you do you work out before dinner?"

"Maybe you should put hidden cameras in the room to make sure I do it, Nee-chan." Satoshi teased.

"I'm just looking out for you, Grouchy-pants." Saki pouted. "Anyway, how was your first day?"

"Odd."

"They didn't pick on you, did they?" Saki eyed him, wondering if he did something stupid his first day, like announcing to everyone that he played dating sims.

"No. Maybe. I don't know."

"Well which is it?" Saki raised an eyebrow.

"Some girls were following me around after school. And some of them kept talking about me when they thought I wasn't listening or looking. Then this other one just ran up to me and grabbed my arm, blabbering on and on about how all these people wanted to go out with me. But she's a freak to begin with, some foreigner, so I don't even know what to think about that."

Saki laughed. "What have I created?"

"Shut up."

"So you're saying that all these girls either have it out for you, or want to go our with you?"

"I bet it's the first one… the 'having it out' part." Satoshi commented. "I couldn't hear what they were saying about me, but they were laughing a lot."

"Hmm. What about the boys?"

"I told them I took Aikido like you told me too. Some martial arts nut named Makoto sat with me at lunch. He talked a bit about how he's taking Judo, but mostly was talking about that foreign girl. He wanted to ask her out and wanted to know if I knew anything about her that could help."

"How would you know anything about her?"

"She sits in front of me in class, and occasionally would turn around and make a comment."

Saki took in the whole story. "So the weird foreign girl sits in front of you, and tried to walk home with you, hanging on you?"

"Yeah."

"And she was the one who told you the other girls liked you?"

"So what. She's completely nuts. Whatever she's thinking she just blurts it out like it's okay."

Laughing, Saki reached for her drink. "So someone who says whatever they are thinking says something like that, and you don't believe them. IF she was a liar, wouldn't you think she wouldn't be the blathering type? She'd have to think of the lie first."

"You lie, don't you?"

"I don't know, maybe." Saki admitted, although she wasn't sure how that applied.

"The foreign girl acts a lot like you. So if you can lie, then she could."

"So I just say whatever I'm thinking about without caring about what I'm saying, right?" Saki asked.

"You got it."

"I don't think that's true."

"Why should you? No one thinks they have any character flaws like that." Satoshi shrugged.

"If I do blurt out whatever I'm thinking, it's not a character flaw, it's endearing." Saki poked him with her chopstick. "Besides, I think foreign girl is right. Everything you told me about how those girls were acting sounds about right for someone having a crush."

"As if anyone would crush on me." Satoshi rolled his eyes.

"You keep forgetting you look different now, moron." Saki shook her head in disbelief. "If you look at yourself objectively wouldn't you say that you look like someone who could be popular?"

"I don't see myself that way. Just thinner with a smart haircut."

"Maybe that's your character flaw, self-hatred." Saki smirked. "That and laziness."

"Maybe so." Satoshi said half listening.

"So you had a good day at school then." Saki asked again.

"Better than at the last school, at least. I'm just waiting for someone to make their move, and when they do, I'll show them what Papa taught me."

Saki laughed softly. "Well if you're going to fight someone, fight a bully and dish it out on him. That way you'll be a hero."

"For once we are on the same page. It's pay back for all the crap other bullies did to me."

"Just don't get into too much trouble, 'kay? I don't want to go to a lot of parent-teacher conferences."

A few blocks away in a different apartment, Natume Murasaki was looking in her boxes for her old High School and Middle School year books. She found them after awhile, hiding under her photo album of school memories she had taken. She took her High School year book first and turned first to her own class photo, Class 1-A. There she was, with long dyed black hair, grinning at the camera. She scanned the names to rest of the students in the class and as she thought there was no Okada.

She sighed somewhat, then went to the next class of the 1st years. Class 1-B and Class 1-C were busts also. When she flipped over the Class 1-D, she saw the name: Okada, Satoshi. She couldn't believe it. She placed her finger on the the pictures and scanned down to the were his photo should be. But it wasn't him. It was some nerdy fat kid, who looked like someone had recently poured a bucket of water on him. But it still nagged her.

"Wait…" Natsume spoke to her self out loud. "Sato-chan said he had a sister in University… so if she just started, she should be in the year book as well."

She searched the Class 3's and found her in Class 3-B. Saki Okada. It couldn't be a coincidence, could it? Brother and sister, one of collage age, and a student by the name of Satoshi Okada. She looked hard at the picture of the sister. She looked more like Satoshi than the person in Class 1-D. She had his eyes, her some of the same facial features, her hair even looked like it could be the same shade as his. She turned back to the fat kid. He had glasses on, and one of them was glaring from the photo flash. His hair was wet so it was darker. She just couldn't tell.

"I wonder if he's in my Old Middle School?" Natsume pushed the High School book off her lap and looked at her Middle School book. The fat Satoshi Okada was there as well, and he wasn't in her class once again. This time he wasn't wet his hair was blushed back (as if his mother made him dress appropriately for the school photo), and his glasses weren't flaring. She stared at the picture and dropped her mouth open. It was the same eyes. Two years younger, but their they were. He looked completely different now than he did then, so she could see why she couldn't recognize that pathetic fat kid for the cute guy that sat behind her.

So that was the reason why Satoshi constantly looked like he was going to be jumped. Why he was distrustful of girls giggling at him. Why he put on a tough guy act when he did his class introduction. He was that Otaku… and what's more, she was sure he must have been the subject to many bullying judging by the High School picture she saw.

"I know you're secret." Natsume mouthed to herself. She smirked and pulled her nose back from the book.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter Five: The Chocolates.

"Junko asked about you." Yumiko spoke from behind Yuriko, who was brushing her hair, gazing into the mirror.

"I don't understand why Tanaka-sensei didn't allow me to be in her homeroom again this year." Yuriko pouted.

"I asked her." Yumiko was sitting on her twin's bed. "She said that we were too close and that we would have to learn to be more independent."

"Oh." Yuriko sighed softly. "All my friends are you in your homeroom. I'm rather lonely in 2-B."

"I know." Yumiko gave a small little shrug. "But you seemed to of had a nice day yesterday."

"It was… interesting."

The two finished preparing for school, and headed downstairs. They lived in a house connected to a convenient store with their parents. Kitamura's Food was a decent business for the area they were in. People who didn't want to go to bigger markets often went to Kitamura's, which supplied basics of practically everything. It certainly wasn't an empire, but it was a modest and comfortable life. Both girls occasionally worked for their father when he needed extra help, but didn't really devote time in the store full time. Whenever his staff would quit for higher paying jobs, that's when he would ask their help. As they walked passed the store window, Yuriko saw this was the case again. The "Help Wanted" sign was placed out front.

"Damn it." Yumiko sighed. "I was really hoping Tanashima would work out."

Yuriko laughed. Her sister was always the more outspoken one of the twins.

The two were identical in appearance, but their personalities differed. Yumiko was usually the more popular one of the bunch, as she was naturally funny, outgoing, and knew when to pull her cute factor and when to play her tom-boy aspect to her. Yuriko was semi-shy, extremely polite, and generally didn't know when she was acting cute or not. She tried to be more like her sister, which on the surface would have the same results, but inside she felt uncomfortable being as informal as Yumiko.

"Oh." Yuriko's mind broke from her current thoughts as they were walking. She saw her classmate Okida-san separating from a girl who looked similar to him. She rightly guess that the other girl walking away was his sister.

"You know him?"

"Not really. He's in my homeroom." Yuriko explained. "He seemed to be popular with the girls."

Yumiko looked him over. "It's only the second day."

"I know." Yuriko stared at him as now there wasn't anything else to look at on their route to Matsukameya High School.

"Still, just by looking at him I can see why the girls in your class like him. He's pretty cute." Yumiko nudged Yuriko.

"I guess so."

As the continued walking they saw an elementary school girl run up to Okada-san, handing him something. He looked embarrassed and chatted with her a minute or so, before she ran off into their direction.

"What do you think that was about?" Yumiko asked, knowing Yuriko didn't have an answer. "I'm asking the little girl."

"You shouldn't pry into other people's business." Yuriko scolded, knowing Yumiko would ignore her.

"Hey Kid!"

The little girl stopped in front of them, then pointed out of fascination. "Oh twins."

"Yeah, amazing isn't it… tell me what you gave to that guy." Yumiko pointed at Okada, who was rounding a corner.

The little girl looked like she was going to blush. "What's it to you?"

"Is that anyway to talk to your senior!" Yumiko placed her hands on her hips.

"I gave him some chocolates, so what."

Yuriko couldn't resist. "How come?"

"Because he helped me find my cat on Sunday. It took us three hours." The little girl placed her hands behind her back and looked shy. "So I wanted to say thank you. I asked my mom to help me make them."

"That's so cute." Yuriko smiled at the little girl, who looked even more embarrassed.

"I don't like him or nothing." She quickly said. "I just wanted to be nice."

"Sure you did." Yumiko teased.

"I did!" The girl's face got red. "I got to go to school, so goodbye."

And with that she ran off at full speed behind them. Yuriko watched her go, her smile not leaving her face. "I can't take it, that's so adorable."

"What? The girl crushing on a High School Student, or that guy helping her find her pet?"

"I…" Yuriko opened her mouth then shut it.

"You always had a soft spot for kind people." Yumiko poked Yuriko, notion her forward. They continued walking.

"I don't have a soft spot for Okada-san. I don't know him."

Her sister dropped the subject until they rounded the corner and saw Okada-san in front of a shot front reaching for a product on display at a high place then handing it to an older lady. Yuriko didn't need to look at her sister to know she was giggling and looking at her. She felt her face grow red.

"I don't know him, okay?"

"Maybe he can help you with your Tennis techniques. Perhaps you can arrange private lessons."

"You're being cruel, sis. Besides, if you're teasing me this much, that means you like him also."

"Also?" Yumiko giggled.

At lunch time Natsume had invited Yuriko at her desk again. Yuriko had planned to join her anyway, like the day before, but never the less too the invitation.. The boys were starting to crowd her desk. Pushing her way passed the boys, she took a seat opposite of the blonde girl. She pulled out a bag that her lunch was in. It was just various items from the store that she and her sister would grab before school. They rarely had a prepared lunch.

"No bento box today?"

"That was a special occasion. Sis made it for us yesterday because it was the first day." Yuriko blushed.

"Really?" Natsume looked at the packaged bread Yuriko was pulling out. "I would have thought you'd be the perfect cook."

Yuriko stared at the amazingly beautiful girl in front of her. "I'm not that good. My sister is slightly better. Truth is we just don't have time to learn properly."

Natsume turned around and looked at Makoto's desk, seeing Satoshi sitting there again. "He's got chocolates? Some girl must have already confessed to him."

Yuriko laughed to herself, knowing the truth behind the chocolates. She didn't intend to, but it caught the attention of Natsume. When she gave her a questioning look, Yuriko raised her hand. "It's really not my place to tell everyone of Okada-san's business."

"Oh so you know who gave it to him?"

"Yes." Yuriko took a bite from her bread, looking beyond Natsume at Makoto giving Satoshi hell for having chocolates.

"And you're not going to tell me?"

"It wouldn't be right." Yuriko gave a small smile.

"C'mon Yu-chan!"

"Huh?"

"Yu-chan. It's your nickname." Natsume grinned.

"Is it?" Yuriko gave her a confused look.

"Well it is if you like it. I thought since we've gotten to know each other, I'd give you a nickname. I already told you that you could call me Natsu-chan if you wanted."

Yuriko was not sure if she liked the nickname Yu-chan, but then again, she never had a nickname that was separate from her sister. And she felt a small warm feeling on hearing that Natsume considered making a nickname for her, even if it was a strange name. She must have blushed as Natsume started giggling at her.

"If you don't like it I won't call you it."

"No… it's just… thank you Natsu-chan"

"It's not a big deal." Natsume smiled. "You're a good person. All the other girls in the class keep giving me the jealous eyes."

"I've noticed." Yuriko did see it. They weren't mean to Natsume, but she heard some of the conversation between them. They didn't approve of how all the boys in class drooled over her, and Yuriko couldn't really blame them. Every girl in the class was fighting for second place with Natsume around. She was just too pretty, and she was funny, and she was really good at sports. What guy wouldn't want to be with her? "I have to admit that I'm a little jealous as well. I think you have very pretty eyes."

Natsume blinked. "I don't like the way I look. I wish I looked like you to be honest."

"Me?" Yuriko gave her a bewildered look. "There are already too many people with this same face, actually."

"Oh that's right, I forgot. You have a twin."

Yuriko nodded. "Most everyone likes her over me. She's a lot like you. I'm just to shy."

"Well I like you over her." Natsume said.

"You haven't even met her."

"Yeah, so?" Natsume glanced back at Satoshi again. Yuriko was starting to notice she did this a lot. She wasn't sure if she liked it.

"Do you… do you like Okada-san?"

"Not really… but I think he's interesting, like a mystery."

"What do you mean?"

"Now who's prying into Okada-san's business?"

"Oh, pardon me!" Yuriko blushed. "I'm sorry."

"Relax. I just have a theory on him, is all. Once I find out the truth I don't know what I'm going to do."

"Truth?" Yuriko looked over at Makoto's table, seeing him trying one of Okada's chocolates when he wasn't looking. She saw him immediately spit it out and push it away. When Yuriko looked closer and the chocolate box she saw nearly all of them were eaten, and that Okada-san didn't look so comfortable. He ate them even though he hated them. Once again she thought of the little girl who gave him the chocolates.

"What are you smiling at?"

"Nothing important."


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter Six: The Blackmail Girl.

Closing her shoe locker, Natsume looked at the three enveloped sailed love letters that she had pulled from inside. It was happening… again. When she was at her old school she used to read them, finding them flattering. But after awhile she got so many that it became very annoying. It wasn't until she said yes to a guy she liked that the letters stopped, at least for a little while. She didn't go out with him long and as soon as she broke up with him the letters started piling up again.

As she walked near the door, she tossed her letters into the nearest trash bin. In front of her was Satoshi, stuffing an envelop into his school bag. The jerking movements on which he was doing the act look like one of aggravation. She could related to that and gave a smirk. But his eyes weren't on what he was doing, he was watching someone in front of him. When Natsume took a better look she saw Yuriko… or maybe her twin. On the sight of her, she smiled a small smile. When she turned back at Satoshi he was rubbing his stomach, now his thoughts on something else.

Then the idea came to her. It was almost like she got struck by lightning. How come she hadn't thought of it the night before when she was digging into her past. It all seemed perfect, if things worked out the way she thought they would. She placed her hat over her head and jogged over to him, grabbing his arm as she reached them.

"Ugh, you again." Satoshi muttered, looking a bit paler than usual.

It was a good sign that her plan might work. "You again? Isn't it every guy's dream to walk with a pretty girl in your arms?"

"Guess so." Satoshi's other arm didn't leave his stomach. "I'm just not feeling well at the moment, so what do you want?"

So blunt. He didn't hate her, it was true, but he wasn't one of the fanboys. Step One complete. "Well I don't know about your stomach, but I think I can solve one of your problems."

"You know a place where I can find part-time work?"

"Maybe not that one." Natsume gave her most lovely smile at him. Even though she could tell he wasn't into her, it still brought a bit more color to his face when she did so. "I was talking about your love letter."

"It's none of your business."

"What if I wrote it?"

"You didn't."

"How do you know?"

"Cause I saw the girl who put it in my locker. She didn't know I was coming out of the restroom at the time." Satoshi explained.

"What are you going to do?"

"It's obvious, isn't it? I'm not meeting her." Satoshi mumbled rudely. Natsume rightly assumed that his upset stomach was probably one of the reasons he was being so cross with her.

"Okay, that's good."

"I don't see why you care."

"Because I want you to go out with me instead."

Satoshi stopped and looked at her. She could tell he was trying to see if she was lying to him. It was an odd look, and yesterday she would have wondered why such a simple declaration would cause so much doubt. But she knew his past now, and understood his apprehension. "Are you serious?"

"Yes."

He looked at her for a while longer then started walking again. "No thanks."

"Ouch." Natsume teased and re-clung to his arm. Step Two complete. He rejected her just as she hoped.

"Don't get the wrong idea, I don't hate you. I'm just not interested." Satoshi looked awkward along with his pale face. "Why are you still hanging on me?"

"I think you should go out with me, and you're going to be my boyfriend."

He stopped again. "You're probably used to guys rolling over and doing what you want too. But I'm not like that. Find someone else, alright. Trust me, you could do a lot better."

This next step was going to be hard. She knew she had to hurt his feelings, but it was critical. "You're right I can do better. I know what you used to be like at your other High School. Didn't they call you Orca Meat at the last Sports Festival?"

He stiffen for a moment, then relaxed. But that one moment gave him away. So her research was right. "I don't know what you're talking about."

"You can't fool me. I went to the same school last year. I was in a different class, but I saw you during the Sports Festival and the Culture Day Festival. You used to wear fat framed glasses, and had long greasy hair and you were really pudgy. Everyone picked on you, and not just from your own Homeroom. Most of the whole school did. I remember once you were walking the hallway covered in tomato sauce."

He wasn't trying to pretend he wasn't the same person anymore. "That was a different person. I'm not the same guy anymore. And you better keep your mouth shut."

"I just happen to have some photos of that guy." Natsume spoke calmly. "It would be a shame if they somehow got sent to a bunch of people's email addresses, or maybe sent to someone's cell phone."

"Alright I get it." Satoshi growled. "You win, I'll do whatever you want."

Step Three complete. "I thought so." Natsume smiled her lovely grin again. He was not flustered this time. "So you'll be my boyfriend then."

Satoshi rolled his eyes. "Back on that. Why would you want to date some loser guy that you know doesn't have any interest in you?"

"Because I don't want a real boyfriend." He scoffed, but she continued. "See I'm getting tired of all these love letters and these guys coming up to me at lunch asking if they can eat with me. They used to do it at my old school too. But if I have a boyfriend they'll stop pestering me."

"Then get a guy you like." Satoshi said in a raised voice.

"No thanks. I said I don't want a real boyfriend. If I had a real boyfriend, then I would have to go on dates with him and hang out with him on my time off. I don't want to do that. I need a boyfriend who is only around when I need him. And that's where you come him. Because you're not interested, I don't have to worry about you calling me up constantly, or demanding we go on dates. You'll just be around when I need you too."

"Great." Satoshi muttered sarcastically. "So now I can't go out with anyone cause now I'm in a fake relationship with you."

"It's not my problem. I can always just tell everyone what I know."

"You're a nice person, you wouldn't do that if I said no."

"Do you really know that for sure?" Natsume winked at him. "Truth is I need you to really be my boyfriend at school, or at whether event I need a boyfriend at. But only when I need you. The rest of my time I can play sports or do whatever. And what you get out of the deal is that your love letters stop and I won't tell anyone about Orca Meat."

He thought about it for a long time, both of them standing still in front of the school. The people walking by were staring at them, but Natsume was sure they didn't know what they were discussing. "I have two conditions."

"I don't think you have anything you can bargin with." Natsume reminded him.

"I do so. This whole plan revolves around the information you have on me. I can still say no right now if you don't agree and take my chances. I'm a far cry from the kid I used to be. If anyone wants to start something, I can defend myself now."

Natsume bit her lip. "What's your conditions?"

"If you break up with me, you never reveal what you know."

She smirked. He wasn't as stupid as she thought. That actually was a good condition. He could try his best to make her back out of the plan all he wanted, and if she wanted to keep him around she'd have to put up with it. But she wasn't going to blindly say yes to that. "If you started harassing me on my time off, deals off no matter what, but other wise, okay."

Satoshi sighed a small victory sigh. "The next one is that if for whatever reason people find out on their own, we're done."

"I'm okay with that." Natsume said. "So we're agreed. You're my boyfriend now."

"Guess I am."

"Hold my hand, then."

"What?"

"We're still at school and you said you'd agree to be my boyfriend."

"Whatever." He grumbled and grabbed her hand.

It was clammy and sweaty, Natsume had forgotten he was feeling sick. But she held on to it regardless. If anyone was watching it would look like they were a couple. "I think you should call me Natsu-chan for now on." She said. "It sounds more cute, like you actually like me."

"Fine. But could you stop calling me Sato-chan?" He grummbled. "My sister calls me that, and it's odd coming from you."

"I like Sato-chan though."

"You're just going to do what you like anyway, so I don't know why I even bothered asking." He murmured.

When they reached the school gates they had to walk in the opposite direction. She let go of his hand and intended on walking away but he stopped her by giving a slight grunt. She turned around and his pale face looked serious.

"I don't remember you from school. A foreign looking girl would be hard to miss."

"I had long hair back then, and dyed it black in order to fit in. I thought maybe some of the attention I was getting would die down but I still have these greenish hazel eyes. So it didn't really work out so well. When I came her I cut my hair because I was getting headaches, and I wanted to try out for more sports teams."

"I see." He scratched the back of his head. "See ya."

"Buh-bye, Sato-chan. See you tomorrow!"

"Stop calling me that." He grumbled as he walked off.

She smiled as she watched him go. There was a small guilt in the pit of her stomach for having to blackmail him like that, but in the end she thought it would work out for the best. He certainly wasn't going to ask anyone out due to his insecurities from the past, and she needed a cover. It worked out nicely, she thought. She turned, humming happily as she walked home.


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter Seven: The New Job.

Satoshi's stomach was killing him. Those chocolates he ate from that little girl was striking back with force. But more than that, what was on his mind the most was that stupid foreign girl who forced him to be her boyfriend. But not even a real boyfriend. Just some guy she could pretend to like at school so she could keep the vultures off of her. She seemed to be some selfish bitch to him, but he couldn't deny that if she were to use him like that a year ago he would have been happy. She was extremely pretty after all.

As he walked along on his path towards home he saw that same little girl he had helped on Sunday. She was sitting on a chair that was in front of her building. When she saw him she jumped up and ran over to him. He quickly took his hand off his stomach and gave the best fake attempt of happiness he could.

"Hello, nice to see you again." He said to the girl.

She grinned excitedly and placed her hands behind her back. "So did you eat them?"

He bent over and opened his school bag. Then he pulled out the chocolate box she had given him and rattled it to indicated there was nothing inside. "Yep. I really liked them."

"I'm so glad!" She almost squealed. "I just wanted to say thank you for helping me find my cat."

"You're very welcome." Satoshi handed the box back to her.

"No. You should keep this… as a memory."

He gave her a side ways smile. "You're very kind." He placed the box back into his bag. "I've got to hurry along now. I'll see you later."

"Goodbye!"

As he walked off, he could hear her run into her house, exclaiming loudly as she went with in with an excitement only a child would be willing to give over something so trivial as that conversation. As soon as he was far enough away that he was sure she couldn't come back out side and watch him, he placed his hand back over his stomach and groaned. If she ever gave him something else he should just throw it away. It wouldn't be as if she would know if he ate them. Then again, she did try her best… so it would be rude if he didn't accept her gratitude.

"Ugh. I'm going to die." He groaned, feeling the urge to puke.

He looked ahead of him, sure he wasn't going to make it to his apartment without hurling. There was that convenient store he has gone to the day before to buy dinner ingredients. Seemed a good place to throw up. Maybe they had a restroom he could use. If not he was going to be in big trouble. As got near he saw the name of the store: Kitamura's Food.

"Great… almost there… hold it in." He murmured to himself as he entered into the store.

A bell jingled as he entered the store and he looked around franticly for a restroom. He thought his situation was bad before, but suddenly it got even worse. The girl behind the corner saw him and was walking up to him. He didn't get a good look at her until she spoke to him and he had to acknowledge he heard her.

"Is there anything I can do to help you, sir?"

When she saw her, he couldn't believe it. But then again he should have put two-and-two together. The place was called Kitamura's Food, after all. So why wouldn't the lovely Yuriko Kitamura be standing right in front of him… right when he felt like he had to puke?

"Oh no. You look horrible." She said, her voice quickly changing to concern. "Are you going to vomit." He nodded franticly. She grabbed his arm and led him to the costumer's restroom. "Try and get it in the toilet if you don't mind!" She called to him as he scrambled inside.

The experience was the most dreadful one he could have conjured up for himself. Yuriko was standing outside listening to him retch. There would be no way he could get her to notice him now. He'd forever be the vomit king. But it didn't matter anyway. Even if he did meet her in the most fantasized versions he had thought up for himself, he was still owned by that Murasaki witch. He took a bit more satisfaction that he finished out his vomiting on thinking of her.

When he finished, he was proud he didn't leave a mess for Kitamura-san to clean up. He flushed the toilet and washed his face and did the best he could to clean out his mouth. He would have to buy some juice to get the digested taste of chocolate out of his mouth. When he exited, he saw Kitamura-san, looked at him was concern on her face, then she took a peak in the restroom the gaze the damage. On seeing it was clean, and it didn't smell, she sighed out of relief.

"Are you feeling better, sir?"

So formal. They were classmates after all. Maybe she had to act this way because she was at work. "Yes, but I think I'll buy some juice…. cause you know…"

"Yeah. Over here." She led him towards the juices. She certainly was taking care of him. He wondered if it was part of her job also, or if she was feeling sorry for him. He quickly guessed it was the latter. "Is there anything else, or would like to sit down for a moment and gather yourself?"

"I guess I'll sit." he looked at her.

She smiled cheerfully and led him to the cashier counter and pointed a chair behind it. When he took the seat, she returned to her spot behind the register, but with her back towards it looking him over. "I think I know you." She said after a moment.

"Urm, yeah." He suddenly felt depressed. She had spoken to him a few times in class, and had looked at him more than a few times. She honestly couldn't remember him? "I'm in 2-B…"

"Oh!"

"Yeah."

"No. It's not what you think." She giggled. "Sorry, I recognized you from the walk to school. You're in my sister's class. Yuriko Kitamura? That's my sister."

"Sister?" His mouth must of dropped because she immediately burst out in a round of giggles.

"Twins." She breathed in. "It never gets old when someone confuses us. Yuriko is my sister. My name is Yumiko."

"You look just like her." He couldn't help stating the obvious.

"I know." She stuck her tongue out at him playfully. "But it's pretty obvious now that we aren't the same person, right?"

He had to agree. Yumiko was a lot more outgoing from what he noticed of Yuriko. Yuriko seemed pretty bashful. Then some hope filled his heart. Yuriko wasn't behind that door listening to him retching away. It was Yumiko. Sure Yumiko could still tell her sister that he was vomiting at the store, but hearing a story about it and actually hearing it were two different things. Maybe this wasn't such a bad thing after all.

"Do you live around the area? I saw you this morning on your way to school, so I'm curious."

"I live with my sister in an apartment a block away." Satoshi told her without reservation. "I've been in here before, but didn't see you or your sister. It was college aged guy."

"He didn't work out." Yumiko waved away the thought of that guy. "So where the chocolates good?"

"How did you… oh." He remembered she said she saw him walking to school. "No. That's what I was puking up."

"Too bad, she was really cute." Yumiko winked.

She seemed a lot like Natsume now that he was sitting down talking to her. But coming from that face, he found it endearing. Sipping his Juice, suddenly the thought came to him. "Wait a moment, you said that college guy left, right?"

"Yes."

"So does that mean you're hiring?"

"What, do you want to throw up here on a regular bases?"

"Not exactly." He could feel his face growing warmer. "I'm looking for a part-time job. Since it's just me and my sister we could use the extra money."

"You're really honest, aren't you?"

"I don't think I'm was any more truthful than you are." He teased back

"Oh, got me there." She laughed. "I say whatever I'm thinking at the moment." Satoshi was beginning to wonder if he just naturally found himself in the company of girls that acted like Saki. "Tell you what, I'll put in a good word for you, and you fill out an application, and we'll see what Dad says."

"You'll do that?"

"Sure. You live nearby and you're nice to talk too. It can get boring in here all by yourself. Plus you know my sister, so everything works out. But you better not be some lazy bastard who doesn't do anything."

"Don't worry about that." Satoshi gave her a serious look. "If you hire me I'll work as hard as I can."

"Well, I'm not the one hiring you, my Dad is. But it doesn't hurt to have me cheering for you, right?" Yumiko smiled, then turned around and started looking for the application forms.

This was perfect. If he worked at Kitamura's Foods, he would get to see Yuriko everyday. And even if that wasn't true, at least he could see Yumiko. They looked exactly the same, even if she was different personality wise. The store was so near to his apartment, transportation wasn't an issue, and if any school problems came up, he could always have Yuriko to back him up to the boss. Another good thing would be that after work he didn't have to go shopping for dinner, he was already here. And Saki would be thrilled for the extra cash. There was no downside.

"Here it is." She turned around and handing him the application and a pen. "You weren't looking at my butt, where you?"

"Huh?"

"My butt."

"What? Oh… NO. No, I wasn't. Sorry I was spacing out."

She grinned, an eery grin that reminded him of Natsume. "I was only joking."

"Sorry."

"But if you were looking at my butt, it's okay. It was in your face after all."

Satoshi scratched the back of his head. "Next time I'll look then." He couldn't believe he said that. It just came out of his mouth. Her face looked blankly at him and he knew all his dreams had crashed to a holt right then and there.

Then Yumiko nearly fell over laughing. Her reaction was priceless. The delayed reaction to his joke then the near tear laughter of getting an unexpected joke from this "serious" guy. He couldn't help but laugh himself.

"Sorry," he breathed after his chuckles. "it just came out."

"No, it's fine. I think I like you." She grinned, then blushed. "I mean… um… "

"Yeah I know." He let her off the hook. Being near her was like being near Yuriko, and he was going to do his best to be on her good side.


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter Eight: The New School Rivals

"I'm not sure about your idea, Natsu-chan." Yuriko looked worried as she spoke her concerns at lunch the next day.

Natsume had just told her everything that happened, minus the details of Satoshi's past life, in order for her not to get hounded by guys anymore. The plan was perfect, she didn't see why Yuriko would object to it. "It's too late now, everything is already in motion."

Yuriko looked uncomfortable. "But… Okada-san is a nice person. It seems mean to do something like that to him.

Natsume raised her eyebrows, then smiled at the cute face of Yuriko. She reached across the desk and grabbed one of her hands. "Don't worry. It's only temporary until…"

"Hey." Someone interrupted.

"What?" Natsume looked up, slightly annoyed. But standing next to her was the topic they were discussing. He obviously didn't know they were talking about him, so she felt a small wave of relief. "Oh, sorry Sato-chan."

He pulled a chair near the desks they were sharing as a table and sat down. Natsume saw that his eyes mainly were looking at Yuriko, which kind of annoyed her. But whatever he was thinking about went away when he sat down and he gave his full attention to Natsume.

"Here."

Producing two bento boxes from his school bag, he slid one over to Natsume. She looked down at it, then back at Satoshi unsure what was going on. "What's this?"

"I made you some lunch. The stuff you're having now looks pathetic."

"Who asked you to make me lunch?"

"It's just left overs, so forget it." Satoshi shrugged and opened his own bento box.

She looked into it. It certainly did not look like left overs to her. In fact it look very much like those carefully prepared meals that crushing girlfriend cooks gave the guys they liked. She turned to her gift lunch and opened it. Sure enough it was the same meal. She felt her cheeks warm slightly.

"You made this for me?"

"I made to much, so I thought I'd share." Satoshi grumbled.

Yuriko giggled slightly. "You really are a nice person. That Bento box looks absolutely incredible."

"Thank you." Satoshi smiled. He turned his attention back to Natsume, then teased. "At least someone knows how to give a correct response to this sort of thing. Maybe I should have made lunch for her?"

Natsume glanced at Yuriko who looked even more embarrassed, then leaned back in her chair. "I apologize Sato-chan, you just caught me off guard."

"Well I am your boyfriend, aren't I? I have to show affection… or something." He scratched the back of his head then shrugged.

"Wait, you did this out of obligation?" Natsume coughed, having stuffed some rice in her mouth.

Satoshi sighed. "Forget it. Seems you're in a mood at the moment. I'll talk to you later." He gathered his things, and with a lingering look towards Yuriko he left.

Natsume sighed heavily and plopped her elbows at the table. "That stupid bastard."

Yuriko placed a small hand on her arm. "I told you he was a nice person. I suppose if he's going to be your 'boyfriend' he's going to act the part… however… That bento looks really good."

Natsume groaned. "It is. I had no idea he liked cooking. Maybe his sister made it?"

"He said 'I made too much' so it was definitely him." Yuriko recalled.

"I guess I did ask him to be my boyfriend, didn't I? But still..."

"It's okay." Yuriko smiled a small smile. "How about this? My parents want to do inventory at the store on Sunday, and they said my sister and I can have a free day. So how about you and I go somewhere together?"

"You're getting bold."

"Maybe you're rubbing off on me?"

"That sounds like a good idea." Natsume took another bite from Satoshi's lunch. "Damn it, it's really good."

"I wish my sister would hurry up with mine." Yuriko looked at the class door. "She said she would buy me something."

"Oh, so I finally get to meet your famous sister?"

"Probably. If she remembers me."

But on cue, the other twin came into the door. She scanned the room, her eyes passing over Natsume and Yuriko on her first passing, then saw her sister on the pass coming back around again. She walked over to them, holding a bag filled with school-bread. Looking at Satoshi's discarded seat she sat down and poured the contents of the bag onto the desk.

"Pardon me." She said politely at Natsume, then smiled at her sister. "Sorry I was late."

"It's okay." she said meekly and grabbed some melon-bread. "This is Natsume Murasaki. Natsu-chan, this is my twin sister Yumiko."

"Nice to meet you." Yumiko gave a polite smile.

Natsume couldn't believe how much they looked alike. Only by their mannerism could she tell them a part. "Nice to meet you."

"Wow, did you cook that?"

"Hmm? Oh no, my boyfriend made it for me." Natsume pointed vaguely behind her where she knew Satoshi would be.

When Yumiko's eyes went to the direction she was pointing, Natsume stoled a glance at Yuriko. Yuriko was staring at her, silently giggling. Apparently she was used to peoples reaction when they saw the two twins together, and she was amused at Natsume's amazement. She shoved another bite into her mouth and gave Yuriko a playful look.

"Are you talking about Okada-kun?"

"What?" Natsume's thoughts of twins shattered. "You know him?"

"Sure." Yumiko picked up some curry bread and opened the package. "The way I met him leaves an impression, it's hard to forget. He lives near our family store."

"I didn't know that." Natsume looked at Yuriko.

"I forgot to tell you." Yuriko blushed.

"That reminds me…" She stood up and walked away, leaving Natsume and Yuriko alone again.

"Your sister is…"

"I know, she's rude." Yuriko blushed even harder. "I apologize."

"I was going to say she looks just like you… but you already know that."

"You should have seen the look on your face when you saw her. It was cute."

"It was not." Natsume smiled, then turned around to see her chatting with Satoshi. The boys around the table Satoshi was now eating at were staring her down with amazement. "What does she want to talk to him about?"

"I don't know. Me and my sister are close, but lately I've not been home."

"Really?" Natsume smirked.

"Oh, she's coming back." Yuriko blinked.

Natsume watched the other twin take her seat once again and took another bite of her curry bread. "Welcome back, what did you want to talk to my boyfriend about?"

"Don't worry I wasn't trying to steal him." Yumiko winked. Natsume for some reason felt a twinge of jealousy. "Although, if you want to keep him around, you might want to show him some affection."

"Sis, that's rude. You shouldn't poke your nose in other peoples relationships." Yuriko scolded.

"Sure sure." Yumiko giggled, the glanced at Natsume. "Sorry about that, if I offended you."

"No, it's alright. I like that you say what's on your mind." Natsume shrugged.

"What were you talking about Okada-san about?" Yuriko brought the topic back.

"Oh. When I met him yesterday, he was looking for a job." She looked at Natsume. "Maybe so he can buy you some pretty things?"

"I doubt it." Natsume rolled her eyes.

"Anyway, he filled out an application, and I gave it to Daddy. This morning he asked me to tell Okada-kun that he's going to hire him. So that's what I told him. He wants to talk to Okada-kun today after school."

"Oh, I see." Yuriko took a bit from her melon-bread. "I bet you daddy just wanted him around for inventory, since he already gave us the day off on Sunday."

"I don't know." Yumiko said. "But it was seem mean of Daddy to start his first day off with inventory."

"Throw him into the deep end." Natsume suggested. "I bet he won't mind being treated equal, with no special treatment just because he knows Yuriko from school."

"You're a pretty cold hearted person aren't you?" Yumiko commented.

Natsume narrowed her eyes at the Yuriko-clone. "And you just don't know what to say in the appropriate environment. Do you often go around judging people right when you first meet them?"

Yumiko scoffed. "What's to judge? I got you pegged the moment I sat down."

"You don't have to stay." Natsume suggested.

"Please you two, I would hate it if you two fought like this. Yumiko, Natsu-chan is my friend, could you at least be a bit more polite."

Natsume watched the affectionate way Yumiko looked at her sister. She had obviously calmed down a great deal just from those words. But her identical gaze fell back on Natsume again, with a resolve that could only be changed on her terms. "I apologize for being rude." She stood up, taking another bread with her. "But you're the type of person I can't stand. So I'll leave you to it."

And with that, she walked out the door, taking a moment to wave her goodbyes to Okada-kun. Natsume could not believe what she had just witnessed. She went from admiring the beauty of the girl, to hating her guts. She stood up, ready to follow her, but Yuriko grabbed her hand.

"Please don't. My sister has a bad temper, so can you forgive her? For me?"

Natsume's head steamed but on looking at the pleaded eyes of Yuriko, she couldn't got after her rude sister. "I was wrong. You two are nothing alike."

"She's a nice person once you get to know her." Yuriko defended her sister. "But she was being rude…and… well… so were you."

"Was I?"


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter Nine: The Late Night

"I'm home." Satoshi announced as he walked into the door.

Saki looked up from the pile of notes she had on top of the heated table at her brother. "You're late."

"I apologize Nee-chan, I was talking to Kitamura-san. He offered me the job, and had me start right away."

"That's good news." Saki pushed her books away for the time being, allowing her brain to rest. "How was your first day at work?"

"It wasn't too hard. Pretty much just common sense stock boy stuff. I don't man the cashier or anything."

"Yeah, you might scare the customers away."

Her brother finished taking off his shoes then got a better look at her. His face went pale and and pointed at her. "Could you at least put some pants on?"

"What?" Saki looked down. She was wearing a baggy t-shirt and her undies. "Oh, I forgot."

"You forgot. I live here too you know. Like I want to see my sister walking around in her underwear."

Saki crossed her arms underneath her chest. "We don't have separate rooms anymore, Sato-chan, so you're going to have to deal with my quirks. I study best when I'm comfortable. So get over it."

"You say that now, but whenever I exhibit my 'quirks' I'm sure you'll have no problem complaining." Satoshi shot back.

"Yeah, yeah, whatever." Saki stood up. "I had a stressful day, I'm exhausted from swim practice, so cut me some slack. When I'm here, all I want to do is relax. Besides, you walk around in your boxers at night, so don't give me your crap."

"Panties and boxers are different things."

"Only because you think of them that way." Saki pointed her finger at her brother. "Besides, you've seen me in swimsuits all the time, so what's the difference?"

"Are you really a girl? It's like our conversations are inverted."

"Shut up already." Saki blushed.

Satoshi rolled his eyes at her. "I should start dinner. Kitamura-san let me have some free stuff after my first day, so I thought I'd try a new recipe."

"Oh." Saki blinked. "That reminds me." She followed her brother into the kitchen. "That foreign girl you told me about the other day stopped by."

"Are you really just going to run around in your underwear?"

"Are you going to to tell me about that girl?" Saki retorted back. "That blonde girl, she came by. I want details."

Satoshi turned around. "I wonder how she knew where I live?"

"I don't know. But she asked me to return this to you." Saki pointed to the bento box on the counter.

"Oh. Yeah I forgot about that."

"So you're making her lunches now?"

"Yeah. It's no big deal."

Saki stared at him. He definitely was hiding something. "She's not bullying you, is she? You don't have to put up with it."

"If she was bullying me, why would she return the bento box?" Satoshi said cooly.

"Hmm, I guess you're right." Saki pondered some more. "She is a pretty thing, isn't she. I like her eye color."

"Yeah, some eyes." Satoshi muttered boredly as he cut up some vegetables. "Everyone seems to like her eyes and her hair color."

Saki stamped her foot, giving her brother a frustrated look. She wondered if he was stalling on purpose just to get under her skin for being nosy. "Come on, somethings going on, tell me."

"Murasaki-san and I are going out." Satoshi said in a matter of fact tone.

Saki giggled an excited squeal, but saw her brother didn't have an once of enthusiasm in his voice or his facial expressions. "Don't sound to happy about it."

"No I'm thrilled beyond measure." Satoshi teased.

"So, that girl is my brother's first girlfriend." Saki smiled. "You don't have to be embarrassed by that."

"I'm not. But I'm happy you're returning to acting like a girl."

Saki laughed. "Because I'm being noisy? It's an older sister's responsibility to look out for her brother, after all. So you have to tell me everything about her."

Satoshi was quiet for a moment, as if trying to find the right things to say. "She's kinda of clingy, a bit rude, and thinks to highly of herself. She knows what she wants, and she apparently wanted to go out with me. So she told me so, and pretty much demanded I say yes."

Saki blinked. "You don't sound like you have a high opinion of her. You don't really like her, right? You're allowed to say no."

He thought about it for a moment. "I agreed to be her boyfriend because when she's around those other girls stopped following me around giggling behind my back. So it's a good agreement so far."

"But you don't like her." Saki pointed out. She couldn't see why he wouldn't like her. She was gorgeous. "It's pretty unfair to her if you're just using her to keep away pesky girls that bother you. You should think of her feelings."

"I don't care." Satoshi groaned. "I don't really think she cares about mine either. I told her I didn't want to go out with her, but she insisted, so I gave in."

Saki tilted her head. "You're not telling me everything."

"I told you what's important." Satoshi shrugged. "The truth is, I like someone else. That's why I'm not thrilled about Murasaki-san."

"Oh. A love triangle." Saki giggled. "Let me guess, it's one of those Kitamura girls."

Her brother turned around, amazed. "How'd you guess that?"

"Like I don't see you watching them when we go in the store, or walk by. I guess you lucked out working at their families store."

"Yes I did."

"Then you should just dump that blonde chick, and ask the grocery girl out."

"It's not that simple." Satoshi grumbled.

Saki shook her head. "Might not be to you, since you're involved in it, but it is to me. You can't drag along this other girl you don't like, just because you're afraid of hurting her feelings. You have to break up with her now before she really becomes attached to you. And once you're free you can ask that Kitamura girl out."

"I got a plan, so don't worry."

"A plan?" Saki sighed. "Just break up with her."

"I want her to break up with me." Satoshi said. "That way she won't come after me anymore."

"Your plan is stupid." Saki told him. "The best way to get what you want is to be direct. Just tell her you don't like her like she likes you, and that you like someone else."

"I'm not as blunt as you are. I think my way will work anyway."

"You shouldn't play with someone's heart like that." Saki stressed again. "Especially a girls."

Satoshi turned to her. "She doesn't care about me. She just wants a boyfriend. She told me that when she said she wanted me to be her boyfriend. She's using me to keep boys away from her, and I'm using her to keep girls away from me. So I have to pretend to like her at school."

"What?"

"I know, it's completely stupid. She wanted a guy who wasn't interested in her, so I wouldn't bug her about dates and call her all the time. So as part of the agreement I can't do those things. But if I get her to break up with me, then she will find some other guy to fake date, and I can do what I want."

Saki sighed heavily. "I'm really sorry."

"What for?"

"Your first girlfriend sounds like a horrible person."

After finishing dinner, Saki sighed pathetically at the pile of books awaiting her. She had only scratched the surface of her studies, and really had to concentrate now. Satoshi was washing the dishes, but she knew he probably was going to play some video game afterward. She didn't know if she could focus on the work she had to do if he was having fun within sight. As he finished the last dish, sure enough, he headed for the TV where the game console was.

"Hey, I really need to focus on school work." Saki gave him a pathetic look. "I'm sorry."

"Great. What am I supposed to do?"

"Don't you have any homework of your own?" Saki rubbed her forehead, but already knew the answer. Her brother got picked on for a reason. Not only was a spastic Otaku, but extremely brilliant. He always took notes in class, while doing other classes homework at the same time. Unless the homework was a project or a report, he almost never came home with school work.

"Nope."

"Figures." Saki sighed. "I'm sorry. Don't you have some Manga you can read?"

"Nope, costs money, remember. I just got my job."

Saki gave another sigh. "Look, I'm really sorry, but I do need to work. Try and find something to do that's… quiet?"

Satoshi looked around as if he was looking for something to do. "I guess I can go to the neighborhood park and work out…"

Saki snapped her fingers. "Perfect. Just because you're popular with girls now doesn't mean you can slack off."

He gave an annoyed face and went through his dresser to find his PE uniform from school. Saki ignored him, as she was piling her books closer to her on the heated table again, then started rummaging through her notebooks. She only noticed he was gone until he shut the door on his way out. She took her eyes off the text books for a good couple of minutes and stared at the door. She felt horrible that she had to chase him out like that, but they only had one room. She couldn't study in the bathroom.

"I hope this doesn't become an every night thing." She told herself. "I guess I'm going to have to try and finish most of this before he comes home from his part-time job." She blinked and hit the top of her head. "Why am I talking to myself?"

With that, she poked her nose into the nearest text book groaning a frustrated sigh at how tedious the whole thing was.


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter Ten: The Canceled Plans

Saturaday came before Satoshi knew it, and a week of school was rounding up to a close. He was looking forward to sleeping in on Sunday and generally not doing anything. He had it all worked out. Kitamura-san had given him the day off because he was going to do some inventory thing, and Saki was going to the pool to practice most of the day. So that left him alone in the apartment until evening, which was fine for him.

Meanwhile he had to get through the rest of the school day. He currently was in P.E. class, which he didn't prefer. It required him to move around more than he wanted too. Ever since his intense training and work out sessions though, P.E. wasn't a challenge, but he was still lazy at heart, even if he didn't show it. The class was doing a rare co-ed team up, playing mixed soccer. Their P.E. Teacher, Nagashiro, tended to do this a lot. Satoshi rightly guessed the reason from this was because he was too lazy to run back and forth from the groups to check on their progress. If the girls were working with the boys, they had to show off to each other, while if they were alone, they could slack off somewhat. The day before they played co-ed Volleyball, at which the girls royally stomped the boys (even if the teams were mixed together). Before that it was Basketball in which the boys were better than girls. Soccer seemed about even. The boys had the power and the girls had the speed.

Turns out that martial arts training was just the thing for soccer. Learning how to move ones body accurately to avoid hits made it easier to move around to control the ball without his hands. Not to mention the power kicks he had learned. He had never played soccer before. Satoshi only knew which end the ball needed to go, who his team-mates were to pass too, and to not touch the ball with his hands. That was enough though. His Aikido and Karate lessons kicked in on the field and he was practically fighting the ball down the field for points.

"Martial-Arts Soccer." Ando teased, breathing heavily at him after Satoshi scored another goal with a particularly impressive mid-air spinning wheel-kick.

"It's working isn't it." Satoshi complained. "Not like I know what I'm doing."

The hot steaming body of Natsume jumped on his back. He could feel her chest press against his back. Ordinarily this would be a cause for stimulation, but it's was hot, he was sweaty and so was she. But by now he was used to her public displays of affection. "This is so exciting. You should teach me Karate. I want to play soccer like you."

He straightened to his full height shaking her off his back. She landed gracefully on his feet (having perfected the method of recovery whenever he flung her off him) and grabbed his sticky arm into hers. "It's too hot for all that."

"I wouldn't complain if I were you." Ando grumbled jealously. Natsume stuck her tongue out at him.

"We're almost finished with the game. Let's get it over with so we can take a shower." Satoshi looked at them.

Natsume let go of him and ran to her position. Sports really was her thing. She was without a doubt the best athlete in the class. Satoshi just shined a bit more in soccer because of blind luck. But she seem genuinely more warm to him on some sort of sporting event than she did anywhere else. In a way she was cuter as a team mate than a fake girlfriend. At least her excitement and her appreciation for him was real.

Before they could finish out the game properly, Nagashiro-senshi blew his whistle and signaled everyone to take a quick shower before heading to their next class. Satoshi's side won by an overwhelming amount. Ordinary boys might have felt a bit of pride in winning, but Satoshi was just lazy enough that his apathy toward anything sports related stamped it's mark in this situation as well.

When he finished cleaning up he met the rest of the class back in their homeroom. Yuriko and Natsume were standing near his desk talking to another girl who sat behind him. When he took his seat, Yuriko broke from the conversation the other two were having and gave him a sweet smile. Suddenly the day got better.

"You sure were great out there." She said softly.

"You weren't so bad." Satoshi lied. She wasn't bad, but she wasn't outstanding either. Just held her own. It also didn't help that she was on the losing team.

"I just don't have the stamina you and Natsu-chan have." She blushed. "My legs still kinda feel it."

"Don't worry, mine do also." Satoshi rubbed one of his legs for emphases.

Their conversation was cut short when the girl behind Satoshi, Ayane, smacked the back of his head. "Hey I'm talking to you."

He turn his head around and saw her blushing face. "Are you out of your mind?"

"Sorry. But you ignored me."

"I was talking to someone else, of course I didn't realize you were talking to me." He gave Natsume a raised eyebrow at the absurdity of Ayane's actions. She returned a similar gesture.

"I was just wondering what you and Natsu-chan were going to do tomorrow?" She asked, ignoring his logic.

"What?" Satoshi's eyes shifted from Ayane to Natsume, then back to Ayane. "What business is it of yours?"

"Well you're going out, right? And Sunday is our free day. So naturally you're doing something. I just wanted to know what. I might see you around town or something, and maybe we could have lunch."

"What, after you violently assaulted the back of my head?" Satoshi teased, evading the question.

"Actually…" Natsume started but was interrupted.

"What about you Yuriko-chan?" Ayane switched gears.

"Pardon?"

"Are you doing anything interesting."

"I…" Yuriko blushed, obviously trying to come up with a satisfying answer. "Well, I was planning on going to see a movie… with someone,"

"Oh really? Who are you going with?"

Satoshi sighed. Somehow watching Yuriko struggle was painful to watch. "She's going with me and Murasaki-san. We invited her to come with her sister if they weren't busy. You know, to take the pressure off a first official date."

Natsume stared at him, then after a moment agreed with him. "The plans aren't set in stone or anything."

"Oh." Ayane said. "That's interesting because I might go to a movie myself tomorrow. Me and some girls were planning on seeing that new Kunoichi movie."

"Whoa, that's out already?" Natsume blurted out. "Cool."

"Then I'll see you there, won't I?" Ayane grinned, but suddenly got called away by another classmate. "Sorry, I'll be back, we can make arrangements to meet up later." All three watched her leave and almost in sequence all gave a collective sigh.

"There goes my day off." Satoshi groaned and slunk in his seat.

"What are you complaining about?" Natsume grumbled. "You're going out with a bunch of girls. I was planning on hanging out with Yu-chan alone on Sunday."

"You were?" Satoshi gave them an interested look.

Yuriko blushed again. "I thought it would be fun to go to a movie with Natsu-chan. I apologize for getting you into this situation."

"It's not your fault." Satoshi admitted. "You just told the truth, I was the one who elaborated on it."

Natsume smacked his arm. "Yes, thanks for that, my savior."

Yuriko's eyes looked up, as if not trying to face them. "Shouldn't you two want to go on dates together, since you're going out?"

Natsume smirked slightly, her eyes never leaving Yuriko. "We had agreed not to let our relationship interfere with any plans we had on our own."

Satoshi thought she was great at covering up the fact that they weren't really interested in each other. She wondered what Yuriko would think if she found out they weren't really a couple. She always seemed about awkward around him, but he just attributed it to being shy. Maybe she didn't approve of them going out. He didn't know. She did seem to genuinely enjoy the company of both of them. Perhaps she didn't like being the third wheel? If that were the case, Satoshi would gladly drop Natsume for the chance of asking Yuriko out.

"I guess I have to talk my sister into going to see the movie then." Yuriko bit her bottom lip.

"She doesn't have to come. I said she might show up."

"But if she doesn't come, then it'll look like we dragged Yu-chan on a date with us. How awful would that be?"

Satoshi sighed. "It doesn't really matter anyway, Ayane will be there with whoever she's bringing."

"I guess that's true." Natsume sighed.

"Oh." Yuriko started. "Okada-san, you work a lot with my sister, don't you?"

"She usually is cashier when I'm working." Satoshi told her.

Natsume leaned in closer to Satoshi. "I wonder why Yu-chan doesn't work at the store?"

"I'm busy." She quickly said.

"Doing what?"

She looked cornered. Satoshi hated seeing that look from her. "Just drop it, Murasaki-san, she doesn't have to tell us what she does."

"No, it's okay." Yuriko still looked uncomfortable. "I'm tutoring World History to someone at their house."

"This early in the school year?" Natsume pressed. "That sounds sort of strange."

"Well, she's always had trouble with it, and the pressure finally caught up with her." Yuriko looked embarrassed. "I promised I wouldn't say anything."

"Don't worry, I don't care what you're doing." Satoshi told her, but was not sure why Natsume looked so gleeful in teasing Yuriko about her social life. He thought it was best to bring Yuriko back to the original topic before Natsume had another go at her. "You were asking about your sister?"

"Oh, yes." Yuriko returned back to her original intent. "Why don't you ask her to the movies with us. You'll probably see her before I will at work."

"Plus it's always better being asked out by a boy than by your sister." Natsume nudged Satoshi.

"I didn't mean it like that." Yuriko gasped.

"Don't worry, I know you're not trying to set Sato-chan to two-time me." Natsume grinned. "You see, he's got it real bad for me."

"Shut up." Satoshi rolled his eyes. "You joke around too much." Natsume only giggled. He turned his attention back to Yuriko. "I'll ask her for you if you want me too, but you might want to also ask her yourself, just in case I forget."

"Okay. I'll do my best." Yuriko smiled happily.


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter Eleven: The Date.

Yuriko brushed the folds off her skirt and turned in a position in front of the mirror to see if every thing looked okay from behind. She smiled, finally pleased with her outfit and skipped to her sisters room. Inside she saw her twin laying on her bed reading a manga. She wasn't dressed very smartly in Yumiko's opinion, rather she was dresses casually. She started to second guess herself on her clothing decision. Perhaps she should have not dressed up as much and went with jeans and a t-shirt like her sister. Or perhaps Yumiko should change.

"Do I look okay, sis?" Yuriko asked, finally decided that she'd like Yumiko decide whether she was overdressed or not.

Yumiko pulled the manga from her face and looked at her sister from the bed. "You look like you're going on a date."

"I… well of course I'm not, but I thought I'd look my best."

Yumiko sat up and rubbed the back of her head,, causing her hair to stand up a bit. "It's just an outing with friends. At least I thought it was."

"I suppose you're right." Yuriko sighed. She really wanted to show off her outfit though. "I just wanted to dress up, I don't get to do it often you know."

Yumiko raised her eyebrows. "You're being cute, you know. I guess that mean you want me to dress up?"

"I don't want to be the only one…" Yuriko pleaded. "If everyone else shows up, dressed casually, then I'll look like an idiot."

"No one would call you that… but fine." Yumiko sat up, tossed her manga on the bed, and walked to the closet. "What about this, with my jacket over here?"

Yuriko smiled. It was a mixture of dress and casual, which was perfect for Yumiko's personality. "I like it."

Yumiko was already pulling down her jeans. Yuriko blushed and ran over to the bedroom door and shut it. "The things I do for my sister. First going to some stupid girl-ninja movie, now putting on a skirt. To top it all off, I've got to be nice to that stupid foreign girl."

"I ask to much of you." Yuriko smiled kindly.

After Yuriko fixed Yumiko's hair, the two set out for the train station. If being twins wasn't enough to get stares from random passerbys, looking as they did dressed up was. Predictably on the way, they saw Satoshi making his way to the train-station as well. He wasn't as dressed up as them, but was less casual than usual. Yuriko smiled to herself at the sight of him. He really was a kind person for covering for her mistake back in class yesterday.

"Hey, Okada-kun." Yumiko called out.

He turned around, then stopped walking, waiting for them to catch up to him. Yuriko saw him obviously checking out their outfits, then mentally looking down at his own. "I knew it, we dressed up to much." She gave a small sigh as they reached him.

"It's fine." Yumiko waved it away. "I talked her into dressing up. It isn't everyday we get to do it, you know."

"I think you both look great." Satoshi stammered.

"Of course you do." Yumiko winked.

Yuriko smiled at her sister. Would everyone she knew cover for her? She didn't know. But she was glad that people around her cared enough to protect her. "We should be going, we don't want to miss the train."

The train ride was uneventful. Satoshi let the twins have a seat, while he stood over them, blocking people who were pressing in near them. When they exited the train, the twins took turns adjusting their outfits for each other before they continued on their way to the Cinema. Yuriko watched the back of Satoshi's head (as he was walking in front of them), seeing him doubt his choice in wardrobe still. When they finally arrived at the Cinema, they found Ayane and some girl she didn't recognize already waiting from them.

"Hello you three." Ayane waved.

Yuriko noticed that both Ayane and the other girl seemed to have dressed much the same way Satoshi was. They were dressed up, but in a casual way. She gave a slight sigh. No one was sticking out.

"This is Kasumi, the friend I was telling you about." Ayane commented.

"You got to be kidding me." Yumiko and Satoshi spoke in unison. They looked at each other, and everyone laughed.

"What's wrong?" Yuriko asked after a laugh.

"Kasumi and Ayane are female ninjas in a fighting game." Yumiko pointed out.

"Really?" Yuriko giggled.

"We didn't plan it that way." Kasumi blushed. "Besides this is the first time I've heard about it."

"Right." Satoshi rolled his eyes. "Well seeing a movie about Kunoichi with Ayane and Kasumi seems pretty fitting to me. The guys on the forum aren't going to believe this."

"What forum are you talking about?" Yumiko asked.

"Oh, I'm part of a gaming league online. We talk about all sorts of video games and such." Satoshi said, then looked a bit exposed. "Not like it's a big deal or anything. It's just a hobby."

"Don't get embarrassed." Yumiko grinned. "I'm practically a closet Otaku."

"If I were him I'd be embarrassed." Ayane eyed them both. "But he can get away with it because he's cute."

"That really isn't a nice thing to say." Yuriko noted.

"Hey, hey!" A sound from the crowd came though. Running up to them was Natsume. "Looks like I'm last."

"Last one pays for the tickets." Satoshi teased.

"I thought the boy pays for them." Natsume grabbed onto Satoshi's arm.

Yuriko felt like someone someone kicked her in the stomach for a moment, but she shook it off. Instead she decided to focus on how lovely Natsume was dressed. Like Yuriko, she dressed for a date. Satoshi was pretty lucky to have a pretty girl like her hugging his arm. He didn't seemed thrilled, as usual.

"I know, I know." Satoshi groaned. "I was only joking."

Yumiko suddenly started. "Don't tell me you're going to pay for all of us?"

"I had planned on it." Satoshi said dryly.

"That won't do." Yumiko reached into her purse and pulled out a paper bills. "That's for me and Yuriko."

"What?"

"Take it, or I won't forgive you." Yumiko insisted.

Satoshi rubbed the back of his head. "You didn't have too."

In the meantime Ayane and Kasumi were forking over more bills. "Here's for us. I guess it's wrong to expect you to pay everyone's way. This was originally just supposed to be a date between you and Natsume after all."

"Thank you." Satoshi looked flustered. "I'll be back with the tickets."

Natsume let him go, and he walked off towards the ticket counter. "That dolt was really going to pay for us all?"

Yuriko grinned. "That's pretty admirable."

"Yeah, some boyfriend you have there." Kasumi nodded at Natsume.

Natsume shrugged. "Well he's some lucky guy. Not only is he on a date with me, but he has four other girls admiring him. Maybe I should be jealous?"

"No don't think like that!" Yuriko piped up.

"She's joking around, sis." Yumiko said blandly.

The movie was less than lack luster. Apparently the casher didn't check the ages of who was buying the tickets as the film they watched had more violence, blood, nudity, and sexual situations than they normally would have been allowed to see. When they walked out, everyone wondered about Ayane's tastes in films, and she herself looked completely embarrassed she took them to a shameful b-rated pornography film.

"I didn't know clothing was a hindrance towards swords play." Satoshi commented as they stood in front of the theater. "Next time I have to fight a harem of sex crazy slaves with no shirt, I'll remember that."

"Yeah." Yumiko joined in. "I particularly liked how Jubei had sex with the giant Amazon in order to distract her from the Kunoichi powering up the Orgamsic Shuriken."

"Okay okay, I got it. I'm sorry. I didn't know the movie would be like that." Ayane apologized.

"It was… interesting." Yuriko tried to reassure her.

Natsume sighed. "Now that that's over, lets get something to eat. After seeing those samurai eat all that food off that naked lady I'm hungry."

"Shut up." Ayane groaned.

"There is this cafe I wanted to try." Yuriko added. "If no one objects that is."

"Please." Satoshi agreed with her. "If you're taking us to a cafe, it's sure to be safe."

Yumiko and Natsume laughed hard, while Ayane looked miserable. Kasumi tried patting her on the back, but it was apparently she was secretly laughing along side the others.

The cafe was a nice place, compared to what they just exited out from, and served western style food. Yuriko felt slightly sorry for Satoshi, who had to pay for Natsume's big appetite. All the while she held his hand, or clung to his arm, which made her feel uncomfortable. But they were supposed to be a couple, so she had to live with it. But she could tell she wasn't the only one uncomfortable with Natsume's public displays. Yumiko was desperately holding back her comments. Yuriko could read every flicker of emotion from her twin, and knew exactly the type of things she was thinking.

"You two make a cute couple." Ayane spoke after a while.

"Really?" Satoshi sounded unimpressed.

"I think so anyway. You're so different, but work so well together, you know?" Ayane smiled.

"I think she's sucking up to us, because of that sword hilt dildo scene." Natsume smirked.

"I am not!" Ayane blushed.

The date ended shortly after, and Satoshi, Yumiko, and Yuriko prepared to say their goodbyes. As they were turning to go, Natsume ran up to Satoshi and pulled him away from the others. With their back towards them it looked as though she pulled him down and kissed him. He certainly looked surprised as he rejoined them, and she looked her ever hyper self. As they walked away, no one talked this time. Yuriko was sure they were all thinking about that kiss. Natsume just kissed him right then and there. Only she knew that Natsume wasn't really going out with him, but it still bugged her. Even if she kissed him to show off that they were a couple, she thought it was wrong. Her stomach felt ill just thinking about it.

"So how was it?" Yumiko asked after a moment.

"What?" Satoshi was pulled from whatever he was thinking. "Oh, that. It was… nice I guess."

It was really unconvincing sounding.


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter Twelve: The Fight

"I didn't really kiss him. I put my hand to his face and kissed the backside of my hand." Natsume explained to a worried looking Yuriko on Monday morning. "But from everyone else's position it really looked convincing, didn't it?"

"It did." Yuriko looked relieved.

"I'm sorry that you have to put up with all this… you know, with all these secrets."

"It's okay. I understand." Yuriko looked down. "But I wish you didn't have to go through such elaborate lengths to get what you want."

Natsume nodded in agreement. She too was starting to feel guilty for putting Satoshi through all this. It was a bit much. At the time it seemed like the perfect plan. But after getting to know the guy, he really was just too nice of a person to be doing all this too. But she was reaping the benefits of having a fake boyfriend. Most of her love letters had stopped and she had the free time she wanted.

"Maybe it's time to… you know, break it off with him?" Yuriko suggested.

"Not yet." Natsume quickly said. "Everything is working out so perfectly. If things seem to get worse I will…" She saw Yuriko's concerned looks. "…I promise, okay."

"Just don't do it so long that you really hurt him, okay?"

"Why do you care?" Natsume shot at her defensively. Yuriko looked taken aback by this. Instantly Natsume felt ashamed of herself. Yuriko was naturally a caring person. Of course she would be concerned about how Satoshi felt. "Sorry."

"It's okay." Yuriko looked down.

Natsume reached out and touched her hand. "I mean it, I shouldn't take things out on you."

The rest of the day seemed to go on without incident until lunchtime. Natsume was eating the bento Satoshi regularly made for her with Yuriko when an argument seemed to have started behind them at Makoto's table. Along with the rest of the class, she was drawn into the commotion at the table. Ando was standing up, shouting at Satoshi, who remained seated at the desk, seemingly ignoring him.

"What can this be about?" Yuriko wondered aloud.

After awhile it was obvious to the rest of the class what Ando's problem was. His shouts were caring through the whole class. "And I'm telling you that you should break up with her."

"It's none of your business." Satoshi said cooly.

Natsume stood up. So this was about her. "Hey, what's all this about?" She walked over to Ando.

He looked red in the face with anger but softened a bit when she walked over to him. "It's painfully obvious that Okada doesn't like you the same way you like him, so I think you should break up with him." He got out in a flash of words, then added softly. "And give other possibilities a chance."

"I already said I wasn't going to go out with you before." Natsume reminded him.

"It.. It doesn't matter! I heard all about it. You kissed him yesterday, and this bastard doesn't even sit with you at lunch? He always looks annoyed whenever you talk to him, and looked like he could care less when you hug him or hold his hand. He doesn't deserve you! And to horde you all to himself just because he's bored isn't right!"

"He isn't like that at all." Natsume stamped her foot.

Ando ignored her. "Look, even now he doesn't care." He reached for his shirt collar and pull him up from his seat. "At least look at me when I'm talking to you!"

"Leaving him alone." Natsume grabbed his arm, but he pushed her away. Hard. The way she was standing was awkward, and it was enough to knock her off balance. She fell hard onto the floor, temporarily forgetting about the argument. Her hip, her leg, and her elbow screamed in pain from the fall, as a nearby desk fell over her. Satoshi was quickly on the ground next to her, pushing the desk off her..

"She was in the way, it was an accident." Ando quickly protected himself.

Natsume groaned. "Fucking bastard."

Satoshi was standing up again, Natsume saw his fist was balled up. He looked angry. Sure, she had seen him frustrated to the point of annoyance with her, and a spark of anger when she blackmailed him, but she never saw him this angry. He had faked it when defending kids that where being bullied but this was real anger.

"Don't touch her again." He spoke calmly.

"Oh, so now you care about her all of a sudden." Ando shouted back, forgetting that Natsume was still laying on the floor, curled in a ball.

"What I feel towards anyone else isn't your concern or anyone else's."

Natsume sat up, some of the pain numbing away. Yuriko was now by her side, pulling her away from the conflict as best as she could. "Forget it Sato-chan, he's not worth it. Dumping him wasn't enough, now he thinks he can win me over by acting tough."

"I'm not acting, I am man enough to beat him up, then I'll show you what a worthless bastard he is."

Makoto stood up. "Calm down Kawano. Okada knows Aikido, remember?"

"He says he does. And even if he really does, who cares. I still can take out this pretty boy, no sweat."

"Don't do it, I won't have mercy." Satoshi said softly. "Because right now I'm really angry."

"Screw you." Ando shouted and swung a lucky punch at Satoshi.

The punch clipped him in the face, enough for him to step back. Natsume scrambled to her feet, despite the spark pain that followed from her leg. She must have twisted it. But all that was in the back of her mind now, as Satoshi rubbed this side of his face, then looked more serious than he had been before. There were a number of shouts from the students egging them on, while some of the others were voicing caution.

"You shouldn't do it, Okada-san!" Yuriko joined in with the mass of people voicing their view on the topic.

Natsume shook her head. "Forget it, Yu-chan. He can't hear you over all this."

"No mercy." Satoshi said, then moved.

A second later she forgot everything she may have been thinking. Satoshi was so fast it was incredible. In less then a minute Ando was laying on the classroom floor, blooding out of his nose, mouth, and right ear. If she hadn't been already watching Satoshi at the moment he moved, she would have missed it. He must have punched Ando so many times, that she couldn't count it. even when the guy was falling over, he still was raining punches on him. Once Ando had hit the ground, only then did he stop.

"How the hell did he do that?" Makoto marveled in amazement, forgetting the gagging and squirming Ando on the floor.

But the question was never answered as Takahashi-senshi came running into the room. "What's all the excitement over?"

It was obvious what was going on. But Natsume explained. "Kawano started a fight with Okada, sensei. Okada ignored him until Kawano… well he pushed me on the ground. So Okada defended me."

Takahashi looked around at the other students who had watched the fight. "Is this true?"

"Of course it is." Natsume blurted out.

"No offense Murasaki, but you are far from being biased in this altercation. Okada is your boyfriend, isn't he."

"Yes but…"

"So I need to know what happened from someone else."

"It's true." Makoto chimed in. "I even warned Kawano to cool off. Okada knows Aikido after all."

Yuriko nodded furiously. "It happened just like that, Sensei. Okada-san completely ignored him until Ando pushed Natsu-chan down."

"I see." He searched the class room and seeing a great many of them nodding in agreement to what Makoto and Yuriko said. "Someone take Kawano to the Health room. Yuriko, do you think you can help Murasaki there as well?"

It was only at that moment that Natsume realized she was being held up by the shaking legs of Yuriko. He tried to put more weight on her leg, but it stung her. So she really did twist it.

"I can manage." Yuriko grunted.

"As for Okada, come with me."

"What, this is bull shit!" Makoto aruged. "He's going to get in trouble because Ando picked a fight?"

"Do you see Kawano? A simple punch would have been enough. Go back to your lunches. Now!"

The class did as they were told, as the various members of the class room went off to the places of where they were told to go. Natsume loathed to see the boys carrying Ando in front of her. "That bastard better not get away with getting in trouble."

"I think he already got enough punishment." Yuriko commented cooly.

"You seem different." Natsume pointed out. "Are you taking Ando's side?"

"No. I think what he did was wrong. But I don't agree with Okada-san punching him that many times."

"He deserved it, fighting over me like I was a prize."

Yuriko heaved forward, the strain in her voice making it sound like she was more serious on the matter than she may have been. "In the end, all of what Kawano-san said was right. Okada-san doesn't like you. It is unfair for the two of you to be going out when … when other people could be… you know."

"Well, I'd never say yes to Ando."

"I know you wouldn't. But I'm not talking about him." Yuriko couldn't sound shy under the pressure she was in, which gave what she said all the more gravity then it normally would have.

"Yu-chan." Natsume mumbled reflectively.

"Now Okada-san is going to get in trouble." Yuriko continued. "And for what? It was a pointless fight. He only cared that you got hurt, not that Kawano was painting you as a brainless love sick girl who didn't know better. No he didn't care about that at all. There was no honor, no meaning behind it."

"What about my leg?" Natsume argued. "He pushed me over, you don't expect Sato-chan to leave that alone, do you?"

"I don't know about that. " Yuriko breathed in sharply. "But he didn't have to punch him 40 times."

Natsume looked at the girls sweating face. Then she saw it in her eyes. For some reason Yuriko was jealous. It was a side of her she never saw before. Even with such a strong negative emotion, though, the girl still looked as cute as ever. She gave a small smile.

"It's all in the past now, nothing we can do about it."


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter Thirteen: Swim Practice.

Adjusting her team swimsuit, Saki emerged from the girls locker room that was close to the University Swim Team pool. It was a wonderful day for swimming, as the sun seemed extra warm that day. She stretched slightly then looked around at the other team mates. She saw no one was wearing swim-caps, which meant that the couch wasn't going to be testing for speed today. She looked around for her, the but couch was no where in sight. Shrugging she wandered over to the pool-side bleachers were a certain younger brother was sitting slumped over, reading a manga.

"What do you think you're doing?" Saki questioned.

Satoshi had been suspended three days for the fight that happened at school. She had to admit she was proud that he finally stood up for himself, but wasn't so happy at the lack of restraint he showed. So while he was home, being punished, Saki decided to drag him to her swim practices so he couldn't just laze around the house playing video games. The professors in most of her classes during the day didn't mind, as Satoshi kept to himself, and even the couch said he could swim in the pool if he wanted to.

"Reading." Satoshi told her in a bored voice.

"No you're not, you're completely missing the point of being punished."

"Oh, I'm being punished." Satoshi told her. "I'm suspended from school, and have to go to another school."

"Get up." Saki tugged his arm, forcing him to stand up. "While you're here, I'm going to drill you."

"Swim drills." Satoshi groaned. "I won't do it."

"You'll do it, or I'll kick your ass." Saki poked him in the chest. "I brought your swim trunks, they are in my bag over there. Get changed and we'll start our stretching."

Satoshi rolled his eyes, placed his manga down and walked off to her bag. She shook her head at him. Sometimes she didn't know if he was a typical boy at all. As he walked to her bag, there were at least three cute college girls in their swimsuits along the path. He didn't even look at them. Saki wasn't sure if she should be relieved over this, or worried. When he entered into the boys locker room, a few of her team-mates ran up to her.

"That's your little brother?" Rei asked.

Saki nodded. noticing that Rei was trying to make her long wet hair look more attractive.

"He's really cute, you never said that." Rei continued.

"Why would I say my brother is cute?" Saki nudged Rei, then watched the other girl, Megumi, who so far hadn't said anything. "You were watching my brother too?"

"He's a boy." Megumi spoke in a matter-of-fact tone. "This is a girls-only practice. Is it safe for him to be here?"

"Lighten up." Rei giggled. "At other schools, teams are co-ed. Are you afraid he's going to grope you under the water?"

Saki groaned. "My brother simply has no interest in things like that."

"Oh?" Megumi tilted her head.

"He's in High School, isn't he?" Rei looked disappointed. "His hormones should be through the roof."

Saki thought about it. "He is popular with the girls… but as far as him being interested…"

"Maybe we should change that!" Rei announced.

"Ew." Saki scrunched her nose. "That's my brother you know."

"What? You would be opposed to an close friend, who's older and more mature, to be with your brother?" Rei blinked all too innocently.

"That certainly leaves you out of contention." Megumi commented in a dry sarcastic tone.

Rei stuck out her tongue at Megumi.

The conversation was cut off when Satoshi came out of the locker room, dressed in the swimming trunks Saki had packed for him. He looked out of place, not only because he was a boy in the girl's swim-team pool, but because of his beach shorts instead of the universities official swim uniform. He walked over to his sister, all the while Saki had to deal with Rei suppressing squeals of admiration.

"We going to warm up?" Satoshi asked Saki when he rejoined her.

Rei butted in. "Hello. I'm Saki-chan's friend, Rei Kobayashi. And this is Megumi Takashima."

"Hello Senpai." Satoshi looked at her with a bit of confusion.

"We thought we'd help you out in your drills." Rei continued, unfazed.

Saki pushed Rei out of the way. "I don't think he needs help."

Rei pouted. Megumi gave a slight departing bow. "If you need any assistance, we'll be over here." With that, she grabbed Rei's arm and pulled her away.

Saki groaned, then returned to the business at hand. "We'll do some stretches."

Satoshi was no stranger to pre-swimming warm ups, as he often was forced to help his sister do them for competitions, so Saki didn't have to instruct him on what to do. While he grumbled about it, she saw he wasn't all that opposed to the work out. She rightly guessed that he somewhat missed hanging out with her, as most of the time she was studying, or he was working. She had to force herself to admit that she missed his brooding company as well.

When they were finished warming up, Saki pushed her brother into the pool and did a few laps with him. He couldn't keep up with her, which was expected, but he was holding his own. When she was sure he was tired out enough, she allowed the laps to stop. They both waded to the pools edge so he could catch his breath, while allowed her body to relax as well. On looking around, she saw most of her team-mates were still looking at her brother, and it was starting to creep her out. She turned and saw Rei and Megumi walking towards them on the pools edge. She wondered what she'd have to deal with now.

"You're pretty fit, aren't you?" Rei completely ignored Saki, and just went straight for Satoshi's attention.

"Guess so." Satoshi got out between breaths. "I've never been a strong swimmer."

Megumi didn't say anything, but her eyes were on Satoshi, She was a pale girl, but looked slightly paler than usual. It was an odd sight to see her so fixated on something, when usually she seemed so composed. Rei did nothing to hide her attraction, which made Saki's stomach turn. Saki gave her friends a warning glare. She wasn't liking that they were hitting on her brother when she was right next to him. Megumi caught her gaze and looked away. Rei ignored it.

"We were thinking that maybe we'd come over to your house on Saturaday and have a small party." Rei turned to Saki.

"Why?"

"Just think it would be fun, is all. Besides, Megumi thinks she's from your old town."

Saki blinked. "You never said so before."

Megumi looked slightly ashamed. "I didn't recognize you, Saki-chan… but I recognized him. My brother used to…."

"Takashima. You're Akira's older sister." Satoshi spoke as if the thought just dawned on him..

Saki remembered the name Akira Takashima. He was the lead tormentor of the boys in Satoshi's class. Saki never saw Megumi in her grade, so she must have went to a different High School. So that was why Megumi was staring at him. Saki moaned under her breath. She much preferred that Megumi had a crush on her brother now. Megumi knew Satoshi's big secret. Rei, however, seemed obvious to all that was around her.

"Anyway, a party for reunited citizens is just what the doctor ordered." Rei continued blissfully. "I'll bring the booze."

"What?" Saki's mind returned back to the present. "Booze?"

"Yeah, since I'll be the guest, it's only fitting I bring something."

"Right." Saki's mind was buzzing.

Megumi placed a hand behind her neck, glancing uncomfortably at Satoshi. "You look really different."

Satoshi shrugged, clearly not sure what to say.

"My brother… he was an ass hole." Megumi blurted out.

Pushing himself out of he pool Satoshi waved his hand at her. "Forget it, not like you had anything to do with it."

Rei finally was figuring out the second conversation going on in front of her. "Wait, what's going on?"

Megumi opened her mouth, but Saki interrupted. "Nothing important. You can come over on Saturday, but you have to promise to stop hitting on my brother."

Satoshi snickered slightly as Rei's race went slightly red. "I wasn't hitting on him…"

"It looked like it to me." Saki pulled herself out of the pool also, then readjusted herself again.

"You were." Megumi confirmed.

"Maybe she just likes younger guys." Saki went on.

Rei stamped her foot. "Whatever, your brother is cute, so what."

Satoshi groaned. "Am I done being tortured?"

"I guess so, for now."

Satoshi gave a silent wave and returned to the bleacher where his manga was sitting. Saki gave a slight sigh that Megumi didn't feel the need to explain the situation, although if Rei did find out Satoshi was a loser in High School she probably wouldn't have cared. She was still staring a hole into him with a lustful gaze.

"You're starting to creep me out, Rei-chan." Megumi spoke softly. "He's a High School student after all."

"Besides, he's already got a girlfriend." Saki told them. "Did I forget to mention that?"

Rei gave a groan of frustration. "Of course he has a girlfriend. Why wouldn't he?"

"He's my brother, I wouldn't allow you to date him anyway." Saki told her, creeped out at her friend.

"It's not very polite." Megumi agreed. "Unless Saki-chan didn't have a problem with it."

"I do. My friends shouldn't be shacking up with my brother, it's just creepy."

Rei laughed. "What's so creepy about it. Some of my friends have gone out with my sister, and I don't care. As long as they aren't making out in front of me, what's the harm?"

"I don't want to ever think about that." Saki groaned.

Megumi looked back at Satoshi and gave an apologetic face. "He still has that scar on his back…"

Saki turned and looked. She was used to seeing it and had quite forgotten it. He had gotten it some time when he was in the last year of middle school, a result of yet another fight, only that time he had to visit the clinic. Somehow Megumi must of have seen it through her brothers tortures and that's how she recognized him. Saki stared at her non-lustful friend, wondering why she felt so guilty over her brothers actions. It was one of the few times she had seen Megumi show emotions like that.

A whistle blew, and the couch seemed to have returned from where ever she was. "Hey, you girls, stop gossiping and get to practice. I know there's a boy to show off for, but nows not the time. Back in the pool now!"

Saki smacked Rei's butt then pushed her into the pool. "Time to cool off, lover girl!"

"Hey!" Rei protested when she emerged from the water.


	14. Chapter 14

Chapter Fourteen: The Almost Confession

The school week went by quickly for Satoshi, as he was suspended for 3 days. However when he returned back to school he found people's attitude towards him had changed. Suddenly people respected him. Guys admired him, and girls seemed to like him all the more. They thought it was romantic that he stood up for Natsume, while the guys couldn't get over how many times he had punched Ando. Natsume acted her usual self on his returned, complaining about how she had gotten used to his box lunches. Yuriko seemed to revert more into her shy state. Ando, on the other hand, was no where to be seen. Since he had started the whole fight, and injured Natsume in the process, he was suspended for seven days. It probably was necessary because of his injuries.

At work those missing three days, Yumiko let him borrow her notes. She was in a different homeroom, but they still were in the same grade and still taught by the same teachers. After school, Yuriko would hand him assignments and homework they had gotten. By the time Satoshi returned to school, he was already caught up, surprising his Teachers by returning all the assignments he had been given.

When Sunday came around, he was glad he wasn't roped into another date. Natsume said she had plans, so there was no chance of another Ayane incident. Unfortunately Saki had plans also, and it involved the use of the apartment. While she had finished her studies for the week, Rei and Megumi had invited themselves over on Saturday night for drinks. They all got so drunk they ended up staying the night. So on Sunday morning Satoshi looked for an excuse to leave the college party, even if he had no where to go.

He returned to the public neighborhood park, as it seemed to be his new hang out spot of late. Because he had left in a hurry, he didn't change into his contacts. He was lucky that his old frames had broken during the move and that Saki insisted that he get "cool" frames instead of his "otaku" ones he had before. He forgot about his glasses for the most part, since he tended to wear them when he wasn't in school anyway. In fact when he spent most of his night sessions in the park, he usually had them on. But it wasn't until he ran into the little girl who gave him chocolates that he remembered. She commented that she liked them.

He sat on the bench over looking the playground equipment, sighing an exhausted sigh. He had nothing to do, and he certainly didn't want to spend the rest of the day with his sister's hung-over friends, especially Rei. In his haste to leave, not only did he forget to put in his contacts, but forgot to bring a book or something with him. So he had nothing to do but watch some children swing on the swing set.

"Is that Okada-kun?"

Turning in his seat he saw Yumiko walking up to him. The only reason he could tell the difference was because she called him "-kun" instead of "-san". However, if he was in doubt before, her outgoing personality quickly shined through once she realized she was right.

"Hello. What are you doing here?"

"I've got nothing to do." Satoshi said truthfully.

She looked away for a moment, as if thinking about something, then returned her gaze. "You come here a lot, don't you?"

He wasn't sure how she knew that, but gave her quick nod.

"I've seen you working out late at night." She admitted. "Not that I'm spying on you or anything."

"My sister can't study when I'm home. We have a small apartment." Satoshi explained.

"Are you out here every night?"

"Pretty much." Satoshi scratched the back of his head. "You want to sit down?"

She took a seat next to him, her face slightly pinker. In that moment she looked a lot like her twin sister, who seemed to have blushing to an art. "I was off going shopping." Yumiko told him. "I need some new clothes."

"You're not going with Yuriko-san?" Satoshi asked. "I thought that type of thing was what sisters do."

"Ordinarily that's the case, but she's off somewhere also. I called up some of my friends and they were all busy, so it's just me."

This was one of the few times she looked nervous. "Are you trying to find a way of asking me to go with you?"

She laughed. "Exactly. I don't know why I'm so embarrassed about it. I guess I don't want to offend you."

"Why would that offend me?"

"Because, you know… your girlfriend." Yumiko gave a small grin. "I mean, we're friends and all, but I'm still a girl."

Satoshi rolled his eyes. "I don't care what she thinks."

"Some boyfriend." She laughed at him. "But I don't buy it. You beat that guy to a pulp for pushing her on the ground. So you can't lie and say you don't care about her."

Satoshi shrugged. "If she was doing something right now with some guy I wouldn't care."

"You trust her that much?"

"If there is one thing I'm sure of, it's that she isn't a two-timer." Satoshi said with certainty.

"Does she trust you that much?" Yumiko asked.

"Probably." Satoshi tried to hide the bitterness developing in his mouth. "I couldn't do that."

Yumiko stared at him. Sometimes she did this, and it unnerved him. She looked too much like Yuriko that it made his stomach feel like it had butterflies inside. "I just can't figure you out, yet."

"I'm sorry about that."

Yumiko gave a quick chuckle. "Well, if it's not a problem, do you want to come with me? I know it'll be boring looking at me picking out clothes, but I could use the company."

"I've got nothing else to do." Satoshi stood up, and offered his hand to help her stand up as well.

"You're so romantic." Yumiko teased.

He followed her to the train station. Mostly she was talking about some RPG she was playing, and Satoshi admitted to have played it, and gave her tips on how to reach a secret boss. He hadn't realized he had done so, until he was finished talking. Occasionally he would slip, and let some of his real self show. Thankfully it never was in school. The closest call was at the Kunoichi film when he revealed he had played DOA. Most of his slip ups seemed to be at work, with Yumiko drawing a story out of him that he ordinarily wouldn't say. But to her credit, she never told anyone, nor did she tease him when she learned something new about him.

"I didn't know you wore glasses." Yumiko told him as they reached a clothing store.

"I usually put in contacts. But I had to leave in a hurry this morning." Satoshi admitted.

"They look nice on you. Makes you look less threatening."

"What"

"Everyone is talking about you in school. How you really messed up that kid in your class. I think some people are scared of you." Yumiko said, as she was picking up a blouse, holding it to her chest in front of a mirror. "I think you like it that way."

"Maybe I do." Satoshi watched her pose in front of the mirror. "I haven't had the easiest life before I came here."

"Really?" Yumiko placed the blouse back, turning her attention back at him.

He had done it again. "I don't want to talk about it."

"No problem." Yumiko smiled. "I shouldn't have pried."

"I have to keep an eye on you." Satoshi smirked.

"I'm like a ninja." Yumiko did a few ninjustsu hand symbols. "I strike when you least suspect it!"

They both laughed at this. He followed her around with his hands in his pockets as she walked over to the next shirt she was interested in. She pulled it out, and he must of made a face at it (as it was a hideous color) that she put it back. He wondered if she was taking his tastes into account after that.

After she had bought a few shirts, a shirt, a pair of jeans, and some socks, they left the store. She started handed over some of her bags to him, so she could adjust her purse, then she blushed again. Once again his thoughts went to Yuriko. It was just odd seeing the other twin blush like that.

"I'm sorry, I'm making you hold all that stuff, here let me…"

"It's fine, don't worry about it." Satoshi told her in a flat voice.

"But if you hold those for me…we… we look like a couple."

Satoshi now realized why she was blushing before. "So what." He muttered lamely. "We're not, so who cares."

"Right." Yumiko gave him a nervous giggle. "I'll take some of those then. And you can be my man-servant and carry the rest."

"Anything for you, Kitamura-sama."

Yumiko laughed, and laughed hard. She nearly fell over. He couldn't help but laugh at her laughing at him. Apparently he struck a funny bone. After she composed herself, they started back toward the train station. He noticed she seemed to be extremely nervous around him again. It was started to creep him out.

"What is it now?" He asked.

"What is what?" Yumiko obviously was surprised at his question.

"You're nervous again." Satoshi poked her with one of her bags.

"I'm not."

"Are so."

"I was just thinking, that's all." Yumiko raised her eye brows. "That this was nice. I had fun."

"So what, that's not bad." Satoshi shrugged.

"It is. Because you got a girlfriend."

"I told you not to worry about that."

"I'm not worried about her thinking about you cheating on her." She breathed in. "I'm just mad at myself, that's all."

"I don't understand why two friends can't go out together."

"Because, you idiot." Yumiko dropped her bags on the ground. "Isn't it obvious on how I feel?"

He blinked at her. She couldn't be saying what he thought she was saying. He swallowed hard as he watched her eyes piercing into his. She was dead serious, and it looked like she was running on pure emotion, all barriers had being dropped. But a second later, her better judgment kicked in and she turned her face away, picking up her bags.

"I'm sorry." Yumiko muttered. "You're not an idiot, I am. I shouldn't have said that."

"Yumiko…" Satoshi blurted out before thinking, her face got redder one the mention of her given name. "I mean Kitamura-san…"

"Just forget it." Yumiko was looking at everything but him. "We'll pretend I didn't say anything embarrassing, okay?"


	15. Chapter 15

Chapter Fifteen: The Home-wrecker.

Yuriko returned home, feeling flustered but relaxed. She weakly announced she was home and climbed the stairs leading to her room. She saw her sister's door was opened and peeked in on her way towards her own room. But for once the room was in otter chaos. Almost everything Yumiko owned was thrown all over the floor. Yumiko, by no means, was a neat freak. But she was a person who loved to organize her things, and keep things in an orderly manner. Something was wrong. She knocked lightly on the door and entered.

Yumiko was sitting on the ground, in the middle of all the things obviously thrown around, looking completely defeated. She sat on the floor next to her and wrapped her arms around her. Yumiko wasn't crying, but she didn't fight being consoled. She leaned her head onto Yuriko's shoulders. Yuriko pet the top of her sister's head with her free hand, embracing her more firmly.

"I'm such and idiot." Yumiko finally mumbled in a weak voice. "I ruined everything."

"It's okay, don't worry about it." Yuriko pulled back to look at her sisters tear-dried face. "Oh Yumiko."

"I let my guard down, I wasn't thinking. He can see through me, and know I was hiding something. I just had to ruin everything, didn't I?"

Yuriko had no idea what all this was about, but grabbed Yumiko's hand. "Tell me what happened."

"I told Okada-kun how I feel."

Yuriko's eyes widened. She had no clue. She realized that they got along really great, that they joked around a lot at work, and seemingly had a lot in common. But she couldn't even tell that her own Twin was in love. How could she have missed that? Was she so wrapped up in her own thoughts that she was ignoring those around her?

"You love…Okada-san?"

"I shouldn't." Yumiko picked up a shirt with her free hand and threw it.

"What? When… I… I don't understand."

Yumiko explained the whole story of the shopping trip. How excited she felt when he said that she understood him, that he only told her things that he didn't tell anyone else, how kind he was when he held her bags, how he helped her pick out clothes, and how she wanted to buy things that pleased him. Then she talked about the guilt she felt. Satoshi was another girl's boyfriend, and if she acted on her feelings, she only would ruin his life.

Yuriko felt a sharp pain in her stomach. Her sister was in love with the very boy her best friend was blackmailing. "You're not an awful person." Was all Yuriko could think to say.

"I am." Yumiko punched the ground. "I should have just been happy with what we had before. Now he'll never see me the same way again. Not that he'd even see me the way I want him to see me anyway."

"Because he's in love with Natsu-chan." Yuriko finished for her.

"He's not in love with her." Yumiko grumbled. "It's so obvious. I don't know why he still goes out with her, when he's in love with someone else."

"What?"

"Yuriko, you're so naive sometimes." Yumiko gave an aspirated sigh. "He loves you, you big dummy."

"N-No!" Yuriko blinked shaking her head. "That's not true."

Yumiko smiled weakly. "I never had a chance. I could tell he loved you the second day I knew him. He'd talk about you everyday, and when you came into the store he'd just light up. Sometimes I would joke around and pretend to be you and he'd just… Sis, I can't believe you couldn't tell."

Yuriko stared at her legs. "This is all to much."

"Don't worry, he won't ever confess to you." Yumiko sniffed. "He's too devoted to that Murasaki girl for some reason. Even if he doesn't like her."

Yuriko tried to shake her new problems away, this wasn't about her, it was about her Yumiko. "But what about you, sis? You told him how you feel. What did he say?"

"We didn't talk. I told him to forget I said anything. But it doesn't matter anyway. The only time he looks at me the way I want him to is when I accidentally take on some of your aspects. All the parts of me he likes he contributes to being you. He'll never like me for who I am."

"That's not true." Yuriko was breathing heavy. "If you love him, you should go after him."

"What?" Yumiko whimpered.

"The cat is already out the bag. No point in pretending it didn't happen. You told him you loved him. So you should… you should go after him, okay?"

Yumiko gritted her teeth. "I don't want him to go out with me only because he really loves you! Like I'm second place. I can't go after him if I know his heart isn't in it. How could I? And what about that Murasaki chick. Even though I don't understand it, he's devoted to her. I don't want to ruin his relationship with her."

"Yumiko… I don't know Okada-san as well as you do. I barely talk to him. I don't know him, and he doesn't know me. So how can he love me? Aren't the things he sees in you.. the aspects… aren't they really parts of you? He's mixed us together. He likes you, but he might mistake them for things he invented for me?"

"That doesn't make any sense." Yumiko flopped onto the floor laying on her side. "You're saying he loves you because of things he likes in me, but sees me and thinks of you."

"Kind of."

"That's stupid."

Yuriko laid down next to her sister. "Maybe. But it's not that weird. We're identical. Maybe for someone like Okada-san it's easy to mix the two of us together into something he sees ideal."

"I don't want that either." Yumiko said.

"Name something that you know he likes about you." Yuriko demanded.

"I don't know. He likes my sense of humor. We talk about stuff we like, like manga and games. We like to tease each other a lot. He said once that he thought I could be a singer."

"That's a lot of things." Yuriko suggested. "What do you think he likes about me?"

"You're sweet, innocent, and shy."

"Oh."

"And looks wise… I guess he likes the both of us because… you know."

"Well he definitely likes more things about you than he does me." Yuriko stated. "And you're also sweet and innocent."

"Am not." Yumiko smirked.

"You really are. You can hide how innocent you can be, but deep down you are." Yuriko smiled.

"You're just saying that." Yumiko sat up. "You just want me to feel better. But I'm still not shy like you are. I think he really likes how shy you are, how you can get embarrassed as silly things. He was like that when I was blushing at him earlier today. He really liked that I got nervous around him."

"And you're not shy like I am?" Yuriko sat out as well and poked her sister on the cheek.

"I'm only shy about love stuff." Yumiko crossed her arms. "Besides who wouldn't be. I was flirting with a guy who's taken, after all."

Yuriko breathed in, summoning up her courage. "Natsu-chan is very dear to me, but you love Okada-san, and she doesn't. I think you should follow your heart. If Natsu-chan cares about Okada-san, she'll fight for him, but otherwise, I think she'll give in." Yuriko looked down. "And I'll support you. I'll ask Natsu-chan to break up with Okada-san."

"You shouldn't put yourself in the middle of this." Yumiko narrowed her eyes. "And neither should I. Okada-kun wasn't mine to begin with, whether or not he was dating Murasaki-san."

"Shut up!" Yuriko gave her sister a fierce look. "I'm fighting for you, so you have to fight for yourself."

"Yuriko."

"If I tell Natsume to give up on Okada-san, you have to promise me you will give it your all. And we'll let Okada-san decide for himself. Then once and for all we'll know how we stand."

"But I'm positive he loves you…"

"You don't know that for sure." Yuriko kept going. "And if he asks me out, I'll say no."

"I don't want to be the replacement-Yuriko." Yumiko hammered her fist on the ground again. "I want him to like me, not you."

"Then you'll have to show him why you're the person to like." Yuriko kept her determined look on her face. "I'll be myself, and you be yourself. Now that he knows how you feel, he can make his mind up. If if he picks me…"

There was silence.

"Then everyone loses." Yumiko looked down. "Unless… unless you like him also?"

Yuriko shook her head. "I don't."

She could tell her sister doubted her. She was peering into her eyes in search of a lie lingering there. But in the end she gave up. Yuriko was relieved, but this only made her life more complicated. How did things develop in this way. And it was only the third week of school to boot. Natsume was one of the closest persons she had ever known, but Yumiko was her twin sister. Somehow she had to pick sides. She hated doing this, she didn't want to upset Natsume, but Yumiko was more important. For the first time ever, her sister was in love. She wasn't going to let Natsume stand in her way of achieving her goal.

But how would Natsume react? Would everything be over once she sided with her sister? She didn't want that to happen, but what other choice did she have? Still, this whole time, she had doubts about the whole fake couples thing. It was one thing if they both were doing it because they wanted too, but it was obvious now that Satoshi wasn't as willing to go along with it as she thought she he was. She had wondered before, but with what Yumiko had told her, it was all too clear. Some how Natsume convinced him to go along with the fake couple plan, something that wasn't just to keep people from asking them out.

She knew she would have to confront Natsume now. She didn't want to. But she had to be bold. Too long she let strong willed people like Yumiko and Natsume fight her battles for her, but it was time she stood up for herself. It was also time she remembered her sister, and it was time she stopped just focusing on the friendship between Natsume and herself, and look at the others around her. She felt scared, but she knew what had to be down. Tomorrow at school, she would have to do what was right, even if that meant her happiness might suffer.


	16. Chapter 16

Chapter Sixteen: The Break up

Natsume yawned widely as she walked into the classroom that Monday morning. Satoshi was sitting at his desk already, looking deep in thought. She wondered if it had anything to do with Ando returning, who was also at his desk still sporting a bruised up face. She walked passed Ando, who didn't even glance at her. The thought of him being so afraid of Satoshi to even look at her made her smile. She went to Satoshi's desk and pulled herself on top of it.

"Hello Sato-chan."

"Hello Murasaki-san." Satoshi still seemed lost in thought.

"What's wrong?"

"It's nothing." Satoshi seemed to have pushed around whatever he was mulling over in his mind away. He gave her a fake smile. It was obvious he wasn't happy.

"I was thinking we should do another group date thing, like we did 2 weeks ago." Natsume suggested. "Maybe we can even invite the Kitamura twins?"

"Whatever you want to do." Satoshi's face gave away a flicker of some type of emotion at the mention of the twins.

"Uh oh. I think I got it." Natsume poked his face. "You had a fight with Snob-Twin, didn't you?"

"What?"

"I'm right aren't I? You work at the same store, so something went wrong and now she hates you."

"You're wrong." Satoshi told her, and she could tell he wasn't lying. But she could see she was close to the problem.

"Well, what's up. You're supposed to talk to your girlfriend about this sort of thing."

Satoshi rolled his eyes at her. "I would if I had one."

Natsume laughed this rubbed his hair all sloppy. "Good one Orca-Meat."

"Shut up." Satoshi grumbled defensively. Clearly he was in a horrible mood.

"Listen, I really am concerned, all joking aside. I might not be your first choice, but can you at least trust me with something. I can listen to your problems after all. Who else knows you better in this school than I do?"

He didn't say anything to her, but at least he wasn't angry at her anymore. "You really do mean that, don't you?"

"That I care about you?"

"Yes."

"I have to admit you've grown on me. You are my knight in shining armor after all."

Satoshi groaned, and looked around. Natsume saw that the other students who were piling in were busy with their own conversations, they weren't paying attention to them. "Kitamura-san admitted that she likes me… well not really but more or she less did."

"What?"

"I know. I didn't realize she liked me either."

"Wait a minute." Natsume heart skipped a beat. "I'm stupid. There are two Kitamuras in this school. You're talking about the twin, aren't you. What's her face, Yumiko."

"Yes." Satoshi said. "And why do you sound so confident it's Yumiko-san, and not Yuriko-san?"

"Trust me, I know Yu-chan." Natsume told him. She saw him look a bit deflated. "Hey, you were bound to find out sometime, weren't you. Sorry I was the one to break it to you. She doesn't like you the way you like her, pal."

"So you knew I liked Yuriko-chan than?"

"Not until you just admitted it, dummy." Natsume laughed. "I guess I'd make a pretty good detective."

"Yet you still insisted on going through with this plan of yours."

Natsume sighed, and leaned closer to him. "Look. I know she doesn't like you, so drop it. I'm her best friend after-all. Plus this plan really has helped me out. So think of it like I'm looking out for you... in a way."

"Well you're a real saint." Satoshi brooded.

Yuriko arrived later than usual, and came over to them, but didn't have time to start a conversation because Takahashi-sensei was closely behind her. So Natsume had to wait until lunch to really talk to her. She wanted to asked Yuriko about what Satoshi said, about her twin sister declaring her love for her boyfriend. And as time ticked away slowly, the topic just swelled up in her mind so much that it was all she could think about. When lunch finally started, she ran out of her seat and grabbed Yuriko's hand.

"Let's eat on the roof today, okay?"

"Okay." Yuriko said meekly.

She ran passed Satoshi, grabbing the bento he made for her, and almost dragged Yuriko to the roof. It was a beautiful day, but Natsume couldn't be bothered by that, she had to know the whole story. When they finally found a spot, she saw Yuriko look slightly breathless, as they had taken the stairs at a jog.

"Sorry, I just wanted to get a good spot, and to be alone with you." Natsume grinned sheepishly.

"That's good, because I wanted to talk to you about something important." Yuriko inhaled sharply. She took a seat near Natsume, and unwrapped her bag full of snack food.

"It it about your sister?" Natsume joined Yuriko, opening her bento box.

Yuriko's eyes widened. "I wasn't going to tell you about that, but yes it is about her, in a way."

"I see." Natsume placed her food down. "I get it now. You want me to dump Sato-chan."

Yuriko gave her a worried expression. Somehow it stung her. "It's been pretty selfish to keep going on like this for a while now. Until last week, no one has gotten hurt. But I always didn't like the idea of you and him pretending to go out with each other."

"It's because of this that I'm able to live so freely. That no one is pestering me. It's been a good thing." Natsume argued, knowing that in the end she probably would lose to the sweet girl arguing the opposite point.

"Yes but now… now my sister is involved. I love her so much and I can't take seeing her get hurt."

"She'll get over it." Natsume waved that away.

"She told me last night that she knew something was wrong. That Okada-san didn't love you, and that you didn't love him. But she wasn't going to try and break you up."

Natsume was surprised at this. If she were in Yumiko's position she would indeed break up the couple to get the person she wanted. "She said that?"

"She also said that she couldn't go after Okada-san because… she knew he liked me."

Natsume dismissed the last statement away. "Well yeah, he does. The idiot."

Yuriko's face got red. "Does everyone know but me?"

"Not everyone." Natsume sighed. "I tricked him earlier and he accidentally slipped it out."

"I don't know him that well, at all." Yuriko admitted. "I don't know why he likes me, when he knows my sister better. I think… I think that she should have a chance to ask him out."

Natsume wasn't liking this at all. Her whole plan was starting to unravel. "Look, even if I break the deal with Sato-chan, that doesn't change that he still likes you, not her. He'll just ask you out and your sister will still be alone. So what's the point? We should just continue as we are now so no one will get hurt."

"But people are hurt now. If you don't believe me, ask Ando. Or my sister."

Natsume groaned in frustration. "But everything is working out so well. Damn it all."

"Please, Natsu-chan, do it for me, if not for my sister." Yuriko got a determined look on her sweet face. "You have to give her a chance to at least try. And if people start asking you out… then I'll… I'll just…I'll think of something."

Natsume patted her head. "Okay okay, you don't have to get all mean, tiger."

"I wasn't that's scary was I?"

Natsume knew no one could be frightened by the completely adorable Yuriko, but she didn't have the heart to tell her so. "I'd back off if I were them."

"So, will you break up with him?" Yuriko pulled back, looked into her eyes.

"Do I have a choice?" Natsume asked. In a way it felt like losing, and she hated losing.

She always had something over on Satoshi, but breaking it off felt like she was admitting defeat. She hated it. But things were getting out of control. She couldn't play with peoples lives like she had been doing. It was okay when it was just Satoshi, because she secretly thought he liked it. For a moment she thought about not breaking up, out of spite. But she knew the very reason Yumiko told her she didn't like her on the first day they met was that she knew something was going on right from the start. But if she didn't, Yuriko would be mad. She had to do it.

"I'm going to tell him now." Natsume swallowed and stood up. "I just want to get it over with."

"I'll come with you." Yuriko stood up as well.

The two of them made their way back down to the classroom. Natsume felt scared suddenly. She didn't want to lose. She didn't want to give up. There sat Satoshi, at Makoto's desk, looking completely out of it. Maybe Yuriko was right. Maybe hurting Satoshi was bad in itself, nevermind the other people involved. But what would happen when she broke it off from him? How would he react? Would she get stalked again? And would he tell everyone she blackmailed him? No, why would he? That would be to embarrassing, and she still had dirt on him.

"Sato-chan." Natsume announced herself at the door.

He barely looked up, still lost in his own thoughts. "Murasaki-san?"

"Can you come out here for a moment?"

He did as he was told. The boys watched him go, but quickly forgot about him. He was, after-all, not very talkative today. When he joined Natsume outside, he caught sight of Yuriko, and adverted his eyes from her. Had she hurt his feelings when she told him Yuriko had no interest in him? Part of her claimed a bit of victory in telling him that.

"Listen, I've been thinking. I think I was wrong to make you be my boyfriend… so if you want to stop pretending… then… yeah, you don't have to anymore. If you want, that is..."

He gave her a bored look. "Is that all you wanted to say?"

"Y-yes?"

"Alright." He walked back to his seat, waving slightly behind his back.

"He… he had no reaction." Natsume said perplexed. "He wasn't happy, or sad… or angry."

Yuriko looked just as confused. "He understood, right?"

"I don't know…"


	17. Chapter 17

Chapter Seventeen: The Protective Sister.

"You really don't have the body of a swimmer, Reiko." Megumi spoke in a matter of fact tone, as the girls undressed in the school locker room. "Your breasts are too big."

"Reiko? Since when did I get a nickname?" Rei asked, pulling the straps of her swimsuit from her shoulders.

"I thought that since we were friends that I'd give you one." Megumi said simply. "If you don't like it, I don't have to call you that."

Rei blinked, considering it, then glanced at Saki. "What do you think?"

Saki had barely been paying attention to them. Now that she was done practicing, her mind refocused back to the problems at home. For a few days now, her bother had been depressed. She had tried to pry it out of him, but he was in the phase were he didn't want to talk about it, and she didn't want to push him. Still she was worried about him, and wanted to help.

"Saki-chan!" Rei's voice shouted.

"Wha-"

"Geez girl, you've been spacing out all day." Rei complained.

"I have noticed that as well." Megumi stood up after pulling her wet swimsuit from her legs.

Shaking her head, Saki gave them a small smile. "Sorry, I was just worried about my brother."

That was the wrong thing to say, as suddenly a half naked Rei was closing in on her. "That cute High School brother, right?"

"That's the one." Saki pushed Rei away.

"I wonder what's wrong." Rei pondered out loud as Saki pulled off her own swimsuit quickly, and head for the showers.

Rei and Megumi followed her, towels in hand. Saki was used to the shower room at her old High School and still wasn't used to the university one. Her high school had a sort of cubical design for a small bit of privacy. It only had three walls, but at least there was some coverage. But the university one was just a room with shower heads on the wall. The whole swim team would just pile in and shower as a group. At first it was pretty embarrassing, and Saki had to admit she still wasn't used to it.

"Every time I come in here, I think about those Holocaust Concentration Camp showers." Megumi said as she hung up her towel.

Saki and Rei both gave her a questioning look as she turned on her shower.. Rei shook her head. "What in the world is wrong with you?"

Megumi gave them a blank stair, then turned her back to the flow of water, tilting her head in the stream. She pulled out, and ran her fingers through her wet hair. "What?"

Rei turned to Saki and shook her head. "I think she's obsessed with strange things like that. She once told me that she had a fantasy of being a dominatrix."

"A healthy sexual life is nothing strange." Megumi spoke calmly, even if she sounded slightly offended. "Besides, you're the strange one. You keep your hair long and you're on a University Swim-team."

Saki sighed and let them bicker. Normally she would be amused by it, but she couldn't think of anything else but her brother at the moment. Rei and Megumi stopped arguing long enough to realize that Saki had spaced out on them again. Rei poked Saki's side.

"Hey!" Saki squeaked. "Hands off pervert."

"Being a little touché, aren't you?" Rei stuck her tongue out.

"If anyone is being touchy it's you." Saki gave Rei a playful jab.

"Perhaps a secret desire?" Megumi added.

"Not funny." Rei shook her head. "The only Okida I want to screw is her brother."

Saki coughed. That was so blunt it too her off guard. Megumi also looked pretty startled. "Excuse me?"

Rei looked embarrassed, obviously not intending to say something like that. "Sorry, that just came out."

"But you actually feel that way, don't you?" Megumi asked.

Rei grumbled. "He's cute. So what? If he wasn't her brother, you guys wouldn't care if I said that."

Saki had to admit it was true, but still. "Just try to hold in those outbursts when I'm around."

Megumi pressed. "So you love him?"

"Of course I don't. I only met him once. I just think he's attractive." Rei looked red. As a way of hiding she emerged her head into her own stream of water.

Saki rolled her eyes. "She was all over him that one night you two came over."

Megumi nodded. "But she was also drunk."

"So were you." Saki added. "I remember you singing 'Hikari no Filamenti' at the top of your lungs… badly."

Megumi pretended offence. "I would never sing something like that."

Saki smirked. Despite what Megumi said, she sing that ballad with such devotion it was hard to buy that she didn't like that kind of music. Out of the friends she had made in University, Megumi was the strangest. She acted detached from the world most of the time, but every so often would display a strange trait that contradicted everything Saki thought she knew of the girl. Even now, Saki was sure she didn't know the real her. Especially so, since Megumi had figured out who her brother was.

And with that last thought, her mind immediately shot right back to her brother. She decided that she would ask one of those grocery girls that Satoshi worked with. Maybe one of them might be able to give her a clue on his recent mood shift. With a task in her mind, Saki set to washing off rather quickly. She finished before the other two and reached her locker, drying off with a towel as she walked.

"Hey wait up!" Rei's wet feet patted on the tile floor beneath her.

"I'm sorry, but I just remembered something. I have to go." Saki told her, drying as quickly as she could.

Megumi joined them shortly after Saki was fumbling around with her bra. "Who died?"

Rei shrugged. "Beats me. And what's with you and torture and death?"

"I think you're imagining things." Megumi told her simply. "Saki-chan, you're shirts on backwards."

Saki looked down and swore under her breath. "Thanks Megumi…"

Rei watched her change her shirt in the correct way. "Is there anything we can do to help?"

"No." Saki said quickly, taking her sports bag. She walked to the mirror near the door and gave herself a quick look over. Her hair was wet, her neckline and her shoulders were getting damp, but other than that, she looked fine. She turned and gave her friends a wave and took off in a run.

The train ride seemed longer than usual, but then again, she was in a hurry to get home. She noticed a few strange looks in her direction due to her wet hair. She ignored them. As soon as she arrived at her stop, she returned to her run, jogging the rest of the way to Kitamura's Foods. She was nearly out of breath when she entered the shop, getting a much deserved look of astonishment from the customers. Behind the counter one of those twins was ringing up an older lady, so Saki took the moment to catch her breath.

"Thank you, and have a safe trip home." The twin called to the elderly woman as she left the shop. After which she turned her expression on Saki. "Are you alright?"

"Sorry." Saki inhaled. "You know my brother, don't you?"

She nodded, looking bewildered. "Satoshi Okida, right?"

Saki gave her a thumbs up. "Yes. Are you the one that's in his class?"

The twin smirked, and giggled slightly. "Nope. I'm the other one."

"Oh."

"Is there something you need from my sister?" Yumiko asked.

"I was just wondering… I don't know, maybe he told you. He works with you, doesn't he?"

Yumiko clearly looked confused. Saki realized she wasn't talking in complete thoughts, but she had made such a fuss to get there, that her brain was more focused on supplying her with oxygen then the simple ability of communication. "Okida-kun and I often work together, yes. He's coming later today."

"Has something happened to him? He's been asking weird and he won't tell me what's wrong." Saki finally got out.

Yumiko mouthed an 'oh' with her lips, then thought it over. "He has been acting pretty depressed lately. I've been doing my best to cheer him up, but… it's kind of hard when I'm kinda avoiding him at the moment."

"Why are you doing that?"

"I completely embarrassed myself in front of him last weekend, so… I've been shy around him." Yumiko scratched the back of her neck, looking like she was exhibiting her shyness just talking about it. "He's been pretending he doesn't notice, been keeping to himself also."

"I see." Saki felt frustrated. That couldn't be the problem. A misunderstanding like that wouldn't cause Satoshi to be in a depressed state.

"Maybe…" Yumiko thought out loud. "Maybe he did like that girl more than I thought."

"Pardon?"

"That Murasaki girl." Yumiko spoke with some bitterness in her voice. "She broke up with him out of the blue. I was pretty sure he didn't like her all that much, but… maybe that's what's wrong. Either that or what happened last weekend."

Saki gave the girl questioning look. "He won't talk to me about it… maybe it was wrong for me to ask his friends. But I thought since you were so close to him, you would know more than I would."

"So close?"

Saki nodded, seeing a look of surprise on Yumiko's face. "Yumiko, right? He likes you a lot. He talks about you all the time."

Yumiko blinked and stammered. "I- I didn't know."

She wondered if what she said, as Yumiko's seemed to turned a shade pinker. High School kids. Life was one big drama after another. She pondered slightly what was going on in that girls head, but decided not to push further into it. Apparently it meant a lot to her that Satoshi viewed her as a very close friend. The dolt should have told her so. But then again, he wasn't the type to be spilling his feelings out.

"That Murasaki chick finally got tired of him." Saki grumbled. "No wonder. But I would have thought he'd be happy."

Yumiko emerged from her own thoughts at the sound of that last statement. "Why would he be happy? He wasn't in love with her, sure, but he still liked her."

Saki raised her eye brows. "I didn't know that." She was finding a whole lot about her brother.

"At least I think he did…" Yumiko wondered out loud.


	18. Chapter 18

Chapter Eighteen: The Worst Person in the World

Natsume quickly put on her shoes at the shoe locker. A week had gone by since her break-up, and Satoshi wasn't quite himself the whole time. At first Natsume thought it was funny, but after a week of him being quiet and depressed, it was starting to concern her. Did he really like her, and was pretending he didn't? She thought she better try to do damage control. Since the incident when the day ended he exited the class so fast he was already gone from the school grounds by the time Natsume had gathered her books and went downstairs to her shoe locker. Yuriko seemed just as concerned.

"I have to talk to him." Natsume told Yuriko for the tenth time. "It's driving me crazy."

She could tell that Yuriko didn't know exactly what was going on, but knew she was very upset about how things turned out. "I know, I'm coming too."

"I probably should go alone." Natsume also said for the tenth time. But for the tenth time Yuriko was ignoring that part.

The two walked quickly off the school grounds and headed for Kitamura's Food. Yuriko knew that Satoshi worked after school, and it was a safe bet that that's where he went. But Yuriko was not as fast of a walker as Natsume, so Natsume had to slow her pace down so Yuriko didn't exhaust herself. It took them some time, but after a while they arrived at Yuriko's family business, and walked inside. Awaiting them was Yumiko, dressed in her P.E. uniform. She looked like she had just arrived herself, as she was looking in her bag for a change of clothes.

"You got here pretty quick." Yuriko breathed heavily.

Yumiko looked at her sister, then made eye contact with Natsume. The air seemed to chill a bit more when their eyes met. "I felt a bit ill from P.E. so I asked coach if I could come home early. P.E. is my last subject."

"Your uniform looks great." Natsume tried to lighten the mood, which did nothing.

"Where's Okada-san, sis?" Yuriko got to the point.

"He isn't here." Yumiko spoke with a depressed tone to her voice. "He called in sick."

"Him too… something must be going around." Natsume once again tried to lighten the mood.

"Maybe." Yumiko muttered. "He probably just doesn't want to talk to… I mean, he probably doesn't want to come in today."

Yuriko gave her sister a pathetic look. "He doesn't hate you."

Yumiko shot her sister a look and glanced at Natsume.

"I broke up with him the other day." Natsume quickly said before it got even more weird. "Sato-chan, I mean."

"I know." Yumiko spoke in a dry voice.

"Your sister convinced me that it was the right thing to do." Natsume smiled at Yuriko.

"She.. She shouldn't have done that. It's… it's none of her business, and I'm sorry.. sorry if she's caused you trouble." Yumiko kept stammering over her words.

Natsume glanced at Yumiko, then back at Yuriko. It was time. "Yuriko, you haven't told her the whole truth, have you?"

"No."

Yumiko blinked. "About what? You and Okada-kun?"

"Well…"

"I suspected that you two didn't really like each other… am I right?" Yumiko continued.

"Yes, but…"

"So why did you go out with him? And why did he just go along with it?" Yumiko was starting to raise her voice.

"Because." Natsume rubbed the back of her neck. "Because I'm… the worst person in the world."

Yuriko placed a hand on her arm. "Don't say that."

"You don't know the whole story either, Yu-chan." Natsume told her. "The truth is, I blackmailed Sato-chan to go out with me." She looked up at their stunned faces. Too cute how they looked exactly the same. "I know a few of his secrets, and a lot about his past. In order to keep me quiet, he agreed to pretend to be more boyfriend so …. so I could…."

Yuriko hid her face. "So that's why..."

Yumiko ignored her sister. "So you could what? Finished what you started."

Natsume closed her eyes, feeling her stomach do cartwheels. "So I could see someone else in secret, so no one would suspect that me and this person were a couple."

"You mean you were cheating on… wait a minute." Yumiko looked at her sister. "Why are you looking guilty?"

Yuriko looked pale. "I'm in love, sis. Just like you. Only I was hiding it from everyone. I'm in love with a girl, and I was scared to tell everyone."

Natsume opened her eyes and stared at Yumiko. Her expression was hard to figure out, but it was beyond shock. She literally dropped the pile of clothes she was holding in her hand, her mouth opened slightly. She couldn't look at Yumiko anymore and she turned to Yuriko, seeing her face completely pink.

"All this time, I wasn't tutoring someone in World History. I was going over to Natsu-chan's house." Yuriko explained. I knew that she had an arrangement with Okada-san, even though I didn't know the full details. I was being selfish. I didn't want anyone to know about us. I was scared."

Yumiko looked like she barely could breathe. "I don't know what to say."

"Do you hate me, sis?"

Yumiko swallowed, but didn't say anything

Natsume narrowed her eyes. If she was going to continue her relationship with Yuriko, Yumiko had to be on their side. He had to think fast. She had lost Satoshi as an unwilling beard, but maybe she could get Yumiko in some sort of sisterly duty excuse. "It's not her fault, she didn't know everything. Blame me if you want to blame someone. I was just trying to cover for her. She told me more than once she didn't agree with what I was doing to Sato-chan…"

"Don't call him that." Yumiko was breathing in a panic. "You just completely ruined his life… and my sister went along with it… and she's … she's dating you. How can she?" She slumped on the ground.

Yuriko grabbed her, at which Yumiko pushed her away. Yuriko just tried again, at which she gave in. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry." Yuriko repeated. "I didn't want to hurt anyone, I swear… I'm so sorry."

Natsume knelt on the ground near them. Time for the sympathy card. She mustered up her must awful memory and used it. "It's all my fault. Don't blame her, please. I was scared too. I didn't expect to fall in love…"

Yumiko glared at her. "You!" Natsume closed her eyes, waiting to be smacked. But nothing happened. She opened her eyes and watched Yumiko's face soften. "I wish I could hate you."

"Hate me!" Natsume pleaded with her. "Please. It's all my fault."

"I can't!" Yumiko shouted. "I wish I could punch you. I wish I could rip you apart."

"Please do it!" Natsume's plan was working, Yumiko was feeling sorry for her. "I'm a horrible person. I deserve it."

Yumiko must have pushed Yuriko off of her, because her hands were on Natsume's shoulders. "You don't get to do that. You don't get to make me feel sorry!" She paused, inhaling. "If you ask Okada-kun to forgive you… then …. then I will forgive you. And for now on you have to take care of my sister.."

"I'll do my best." Natsume nodded. "But, I'll need help…. if you support us."

"I'll try." Yumiko smiled a fake smile..

"So that's what's been going on."

The voice was of Satoshi. He was standing near the entrance, by the counter so that the lumped over figures couldn't see him. Natsume wiped her fake tears and stood up, trying to make her legs look shaky. He looked extremely pale, almost as pale as he looked when she first blackmailed him. She swallowed hard.

"Please forgive me. I'm sorry for forcing you to go out with me."

Satoshi was quiet for a moment. "You only did it so you could go out with Yuriko-san, right?"

"Well, more or less." Natsume pretended to be embarrassed. It was his weak point. "You heard everything?"

"Yeah." He glanced at the twins, then back at Natsume. "If you had just asked me to cover for you, I might have said yes." Everyone looked at each other with bewilderment at Satoshi's statement. "I can't imagine what it would be like to try and have a relationship that isn't conventional. It must be hard."

"Still, there's no excuse of how I behaved." Natsume rubbed her eye. "Especially once I figured out… never mind." She thought better of it. She didn't want to embarrass him in front of Yuriko.

"She doesn't like me. How could she when she's got a cutie like you." Satoshi gave a fake smile. "Besides… if Yumiko-san can forgive you… then I should also."

Natsume smirked inwardly. Mission Accomplished. She had Satoshi in her alliance, and now a duty bound Yumiko. Perhaps she should take up acting. "Thanks you so much for supporting me and Yuriko. Thank you, thank you, thank you!"

Yumiko stood up, looking slightly exposed. "Now what?"

Yuriko leaned her head on her sister. "I guess we should let everyone at school know that I'm with Natsume."

Satoshi scratched the back of his head. "If you want to do that, it's up to you… but High School isn't as forgiving about that sort of thing. You're bound to get a lot of unwanted attention."

Natsume gave a fake groaned, eyeing Satoshi and Yumiko slightly. "Then we'll just have to deal with it, I guess."

"Why don't you…" Yumiko looked down. "… you know, go on pretending? All the big secrets are out now… so it's okay, right?"

"No it isn't." Yuriko stepped back. "It's not okay at all. What about how you-"

"Don't." Yumiko whispered.

Yuriko quickly down to her feet. Natsume glanced at Satoshi. "Sato-chan, will you still make me those bento box-lunches?"

Some of the color went back to Satoshi's face. "What?"

Yumiko looked uncomfortable. "I've got to get changed. I still have to work after all." She turned around and started walking towards the back room. "And didn't you call in sick?"

"Yeah?"

"Well you seem fine to me, so stop slacking off, and lets get to work." She shut the door to the back room but it was obvious her face was flushed.

Natsume winked at Satoshi. "Hey, she's pretty cute, isn't see. I mean, speaking from experience, going out with a Kitamura twin is a big adventure. I wouldn't pass it up if I were you."

"Natsu-chan, don't say such embarrassing things!" Yuriko hid behind her hands.

Satoshi spoke after a long pause, then turned to Yuriko. "Don't worry about school. We'll think of something."

Natsume punched him in the arm. "My Knight in shining armor."


End file.
